Charlotte Magazine July 2021 by Morris Media Network

TOP RS O DOMOCRTE THAN

Kickin’ It at a ’90s Selfie Museum p. 23

Return of the Batchmaker p. 44

Allison Latos’ Journey Through Heartbreak p. 15

575

OOSE TO CHOM! FR

Read about the artist (and surgeon) behind this cover p. 50

JULY 2021

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CONTENTS CHARLOTTE / JULY 2021 / VOL. 26, NUMBER 7

Features 50

THE DUMBLEDORE OF CMC Dr. Maria Baimas-George wrote a series of children’s books to create a special kind of medical magic BY JEN TOTA McGIVNEY

‘THIS IS HOW WE’RE GOING TO MAKE YOUR CHILD BETTER’ Novant’s first female pediatric neurosurgeon navigates a demanding field and battles sexism along the way BY LAUREN LEVINE CORRIHER

GOOD HEALTH Charlotte’s first four-year medical school emerged from a series of setbacks and false starts BY GREG LACOUR

Plus 68

TOP DOCS Our annual list of the best physicians in the region

ON THE COVER: Dr. Maria Baimas-George has written and illustrated 16 children’s books— and this cover. Meet the Dumbledore of CMC. Photograph by Rusty Williams. ON THIS PAGE: Dr. Erin Kiehna Richardson, the chair of neurosurgery at Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center. Photograph by Peter Taylor. JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

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07 21 CONTENTS IN EVERY ISSUE 10 From the Editor 12

Connect

104 You Are Here

THE BUZZ 15 Life Lessons WSOC anchor Allison Latos on loss, grief, and resilience 18

THE GUIDE 97 Restaurants The city’s savviest restaurant listings COURTESY; RICK HOVIS; PETER TAYLOR; LOGAN CYRUS

LGBTQ Five years after House Bill 2, the LGBTQ community fights attacks on new fronts

THE GOOD LIFE 23 Culture New ‘selfie museum’ in Concord celebrates the 1990s 26

Style Summer Partee masters woodwork and retail

Room We Love A dark and moody bathroom

Building History The perennial question: uptown or downtown?

Hot Listings Ritzy residences in Charlotte’s golf course communities

Playlist The best things to do and see this month

Seen The city’s best party pics

FOOD + DRINK 41 Now Open Orto brings the city’s hottest food trend to NoDa

Local Flavor The Batchmaker’s comeback

On the Line Chef Paul Cruz embraces Latin cuisine at Calle Sol

The Story Behind Xiao Bao’s Okonomiyaki

Bite-Sized News Foodie tidbits on a small plate

Beer Three light brews to try this summer

JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

Volume 26, Number 7

JULY 2021

morrismedianetwork.com

F RO M T H E E D I TO R

RECURRING SYMPTOMS

What Top Doctors have in common with one trailblazer

www.charlottemagazine.com PUBLISHER Allison Hollins ADVERTISING SALES ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Gail Dougherty ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Jessica Santee ADVERTISING SERVICE COORDINATOR Sharonda Howard EDITORIAL

ONE ADVANTAGE OF WORKING at a 53-year-old publication is its expansive archive. In a 2007 issue of Charlotte magazine, I came across a story about Dr. Annie Lowrie Alexander by the late writer Joe Goodpasture, who penned a monthly history column for us at the time. Alexander was born near Cornelius in 1864. The daughter of a doctor, she enrolled in the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania and graduated with honors at 20. While teaching at another medical college in Maryland, she heard about a Charlotte Andy Smith woman who refused an exam from a male andrew.smith@charlottemagazine.com doctor and subsequently perished. That incident inspired Alexander to return home to start her own practice. “However, most would-be patients were reluctant to visit a female physician, and it took her a full year to earn $2 from her practice,” Goodpasture wrote. “Described as a gentle woman of great ability, Alexander drove herself around the county in a horse and buggy to call on her patients and, in time, her reputation and practice grew.” Alexander saw major outbreaks of hookworm, typhoid fever, and malaria during her time in Charlotte. As she navigated these harrowing health crises, she also faced constant sexism in a growing Queen City. Alexander came to mind as I read Lauren Levine Corriher’s conversation with Dr. Erin Kiehna Richardson (p. 56). Much has changed since 1929, when Alexander died from pneumonia she had contracted from a patient. Still, Richardson faced a pandemic while also dealing with lesser-known realities of her profession: the toll on one’s mental health, derailed life plans, and preconceptions based on her gender. This is one of my favorite things about our annual Top Doctors issue: It’s a chance to better understand and empathize with those we trust with our health. Each of the health professionals on this year’s list, starting on p. 68, carry with them untold challenges—none of which stop them from taking care of us. On behalf of our team, thank you, doctors. We literally couldn’t make this magazine without you.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Andy Smith SENIOR EDITOR Greg Lacour LIFESTYLE EDITOR Taylor Bowler COPY EDITOR/FACT-CHECKER Allison Braden CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Cristina Bolling, Lauren Levine Corriher, Tom Hanchett, Jen Tota McGivney ART & PHOTOGRAPHY ART DIRECTOR Jane Fields CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Daniel Coston, Logan Cyrus, Rick Hovis, Peter Taylor, Rusty Williams CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS Shaw Nielsen, Bob Scott DIGITAL DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER Alyssa Ruane CONTENT COORDINATOR Kendra Kuhar

Charlotte magazine 214 W. Tremont Ave., Suite 303, Charlotte, NC 28203 CONTRIBUTORS Email editor@charlottemagazine.com for writer’s guidelines. Unsolicited photographs, illustrations, or articles are submitted at the risk of the photographer/artist/author. Charlotte magazine assumes no liability for the return of unsolicited materials and may use them at its discretion. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES

877-248-9624 ADVERTISERS For advertising information and rates please contact us at advertising@charlottemagazine.com. A Publication of MCC Magazines, LLC a division of Morris Communications Company, LLC 735 Broad Street, Augusta, GA 30901

MORRIS MEDIA NETWORK PRESIDENT Tina Battock VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS Scott Ferguson DIRECTOR OF MANUFACTURING & PRODUCTION Sherry Brown ACCOUNTING MANAGER Veronica Brooks CIRCULATION BUSINESS MANAGER Michelle Rowe

CHAIRMAN William S. Morris III CEO Craig S. Mitchell

CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

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MORRIS COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY, LLC

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ONLINE EXTRAS, EVENTS, AND CONVERSATIONS

REACT

Responses to the May issue of Charlotte magazine

Ed.: Virtuoso Breadworks’ sinful-looking caramel apple cruffin adorned the cover of our annual BOBs issue. Go, Virtuoso Breadworks!! That’s a seriously droolworthy cover shot. Instagram comment by @theurbangardenerclt @virtuosobread this is awesome Giving me happy goosebumps just looking at this pic! So proud of your team’s amazing work! Keep it up! Instagram comment by @jessking.1 YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS Instagram comment by @thebatchmaker Congrats to the winners!!! Instagram comment by @colleen_odegaard Always excited to see who’s who & support our local businesses!! Congratulations to all the winners! Instagram comment by @athomeintheqc To: “A Dream Derailed,” p. 18 Eastern NC has a small middle and upper middle class. This is because there’s little industry. And that’s because it never gets enough money from Raleigh for roads. Without transportation you can’t have development and without development you can’t have upward mobility Tweet from @CarolinaGirl585

To: “Back on the Mound,” p. 21 Overcoming obstacles. The true meaning of success and how we should all be judged. Life is easy when all is going your way. Let’s see how you do when life throws a “fastball” at your head. I look forward to following Bard’s success. Instagram comment by @t.maxey_md

Honored to be tied with Sam for best chef. Passionate about what we do. Congrats to all the winners. Instagram comment by @ortonoda

To: “Sir Beef’s Dynasty,” p. 42 If you’ve lived in Charlotte for a while, you know this place! Facebook comment by Patricia Ferguson

So proud of @joshdaniel_ music for being named best local band Instagram comment by @megmcilwain

My mom worked there during her 20’s. I remember her telling me that she purchased her first washer & dryer from the tips she saved while working there. Facebook comment by Dainne Alley

Congratulations to @holtschooloffineart! Making amazing art and artists at @dilworthartisanstation! Instagram comment by @maryckamererart

So glad mental health is represented! Instagram comment by @connectcouplestherapy

ON THE WEB Want more to read? Check out these popular stories on charlottemagazine.com. 1.

I just went for the first time the other day. Facebook comment by Alvin C. Jacobs Jr. My dad used to take me there on Saturdays. Circa 78-85. I wasn’t into veggies as a kid. This was his gateway. Tweet from @cfunkthecuz (in response) FreshMyFarm! Tweet from @genethirteen To: “The Best of the Best Awards,” p. 46 New to Charlotte? This will help! Tweet from @ScottSerfass

CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

Nonstop Flights From Charlotte Douglas International Airport: Spring/ Summer 2021 The Derailed Dream of Soul City (extended web version) ANALYSIS: Pat McCrory 101

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BEST ORGANIZER IN TOWN! Instagram comment by @_scott.robinson_ This means WHAT! the world to us! Honored to be named best of the best handheld desserts—and to be recognized alongside so many incredible bakeries in Charlotte!! We’re gonna celebrate this one Everyone crumb have a Yum Cup with us Instagram comment by @yumyumcrumbsclt

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he Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” list, February 11, 2021. Data provided by SHOOK™ Research, LLC. Data as of June 30, 2020. The Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” ranking was developed by SHOOK Rese sed on in-person and telephone due diligence meetings to evaluate each advisor qualitatively, a major component of a ranking algorithm that includes: client retention, industry experience, review of compliance record inations; and quantitative criteria, including: assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives and risk tolerances vary, and advisors ted performance reports. Rankings are based on the opinions of SHOOK Research, LLC and not indicative of future performance or representative of any one client’s experience. Rankings and recognition from Forbes

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INSIDE: LIFE LESSONS / LGBTQ

BUZZ

THE

WHAT MATTERS NOW IN THE CITY

LI F E L E SS O N S

ALLISON LATOS The WSOC anchor on her hard trek from one episode of loss and grief to another—and the meaning of resilience

RICK HOVIS

BY TAYLOR BOWLER

ALLISON LATOS is an Emmy award-winning journalist who anchors the midday and evening broadcasts for WSOC-TV Eyewitness News. The 36-year-old West Virginia native also does investigative reports on topics like online sex trafficking and the opioid epidemic, and she’s been a passionate supporter of infertility awareness ever since she and her husband, Josh, struggled to conceive their daughter Hope, who was born in 2018.

JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

THE BUZZ

I GREW UP in Wheeling, West Virginia. I have a brother and a twin sister. It was a pretty typical childhood—I went to Catholic school and was involved in sports. I went to West Virginia University and majored in broadcast journalism, which was out of left field for my family. Both my parents and siblings are in health care, so I strayed from the pack. UNTIL WE HIT INFERTILITY, I had a really easy life. I had no medical challenges. I was very blessed and hadn’t faced something that didn’t work the way I expected it to. I’d planned it all out, and I was ready to start a family. It was the first time I recognized that I’m not in control. I needed other people to help me, and that’s hard to accept. We were lucky that we conceived Hope in a little under a year. WE KNEW WE WANTED a second child, so we went back to REACH (Reproductive Endocrinology Associates of Charlotte), thinking we’d start again on the same path. They told us we had to hit pause because my hormone levels weren’t back to normal. I went back a few months later to get baseline lab work to start the next

CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

(Left) Allison and her husband, Josh, with baby Hannah, who lived for an hour and a half. (Right) After a viewer noticed a lump in her neck, Allison had thyroid surgery in August 2020. (Opposite) Allison, pregnant with Hannah, and her older daughter, Hope.

round, and the doctor called to tell me I was pregnant. We were shocked.

to be pregnant anymore. But as long as I was pregnant, she was alive.

MY PREGNANCY WAS GREAT. The 20-week anatomy scan was perfect. Then, around 33 weeks, I started itching uncontrollably from head to toe. I had cholestasis (a liver condition common in pregnant women that slows or stops the normal flow of bile from the gallbladder). They said I might have to deliver early, and I’d need weekly ultrasounds. I had an ultrasound scheduled for 34 weeks, so I went to the appointment thinking I’d get to see the baby.

AT 36 WEEKS, I had elevated blood pressure, so they sent us to the hospital to deliver that night. We didn’t know if the baby would be alive when she was born. But we heard a cry, and they put her on my chest. We just held her and told her we loved her a million times. She was with us for an hour and a half. She died in our arms, wrapped in a blanket my grandmother crocheted.

THE TECH COMMENTED on how large the baby’s head was, then said she needed to do something and left the room. Josh was on FaceTime, trying to talk me off the ledge. Then another doctor came in and told us there was a mass on the baby’s brain that wasn’t there at the 20-week scan, and I was carrying way more amniotic fluid than was normal (a condition called polyhydramnios, which can put both mother and baby at risk for complications). They sent me to maternal fetal medicine to get an MRI of the baby’s brain. AT SOME POINT in her brain development, a vein and an artery connected, so the artery was pumping blood into a tiny vein that expanded like a water balloon. It was likely not survivable, and even if the baby survived the birth and they wanted to operate, surviving the operation was unlikely. The doctor used the word “vegetable.” In 24 hours, we went from a normal pregnancy to finding out the baby was going to die. Because I was 34 weeks, I wasn’t far enough along to deliver. I was still dealing with cholestasis, so I couldn’t sleep from the itching, and I was so big from the pregnancy. From a physical standpoint, I didn’t want

WE HIBERNATED for about a month. I just disappeared. I’d get calls and emails from viewers, and it got to a point where we had to share her story. I’ve been on TV for years, but I’ve never shared my personal life. But I’ve realized through this that everyone’s got their stuff, and this is my stuff. I’m hurting, and I can’t pretend I’m not. A VIEWER named Karen Goodman had called me back in January when I was pregnant. Her voicemail totally stunned me. She said, “Jesus put it on my heart to call you.” She saw a lump in my neck and said I should have it checked. I called my OB who checked my labs, and my thyroid was functioning fine, so we assumed it was just big because I was pregnant. Fast-forward to that summer—we were at my sister’s house, and my brother said he could still see the lump. At this point I worry about everything, so I called my primary care doctor. My ultrasound detected suspicious nodules, and a biopsy confirmed papillary carcinoma of the thyroid. I HAD MY THYROID REMOVED in August and did radioactive iodine treatment in September. In January, I had my first checkup post-surgery. They did blood work to check for tumor markers, and my numbers hadn’t gone down like they should have. More scans showed it had

COURTESY ALLISON LATOS (3)

Last year, when Latos was 34 weeks pregnant with her second child, doctors discovered that the baby had developed a dural arteriovenous fistula, a rare, inoperable connection of a vein and artery in the brain, and determined she wouldn’t survive. Hannah Joy was born May 13, 2020, and lived less than two hours. Just two months later, after a viewer spotted a lump in her neck, Latos discovered she had thyroid cancer. She completed radioactive iodine treatment in September, but in January, a scan revealed the cancer had metastasized and spread to her lungs. A follow-up scan in May showed no growth progression or new spots; there’s no cure, but doctors hope the illness can go into long-term remission. Today Latos continues to work, exercise, and “live life between scans.” She still runs to raise money for the Bundle of Joy fund to help couples afford fertility treatments, and she savors her time with 3-year-old Hope. She credits Hannah for leading her to the cancer diagnosis—and for reminding her to find joy in the really tough moments. Her words have been edited for space and clarity.

told, “You’re really healthy. You just have cancer.” I feel fine, I exercise every day, and I chase a 3-year-old. So I’m just trying to live life between scans.

metastasized, and now it’s in my lungs. Doctors are optimistic about the longterm prognosis, but there’s no cure. The recommendation is to just watch it. They told us the spots are too small to warrant chemo, so that’s good. I HAVE MOMENTS OF “WHY ME?” all the time. I’m mad about it. After we lost Hannah, a part of me assumed that was our tragedy. Why did I have the audacity to assume that? This likely isn’t going to be what takes me, but you hear the word “cancer,” and all the worst-case scenarios run through your head. I’ve been

I’VE ALWAYS FELT a responsibility to report difficult stories in a respectful way, but this has made me a more empathetic person; I can appreciate and share in the rawness of life. Whomever I’m interviewing, I always remember they’re a person first. Reporters often show up on people’s worst day, so I try to remember they’re a person before they’re the “get” or the “breaking news.” I’VE LEARNED IT’S OK to not be OK, to feel low or sad or angry or frustrated. I feel all those things every day. I used to just power through. Now I’m OK having those days where I spend the 20-minute drive home replaying Hannah’s birth in my head. In those really hard moments, her name is somewhat of a prayer for us. Hannah means “God’s grace,” and Joy is because we were so elated to see our family grow. I pray for the grace to get

through those moments and the ability to find the joy in them. THE WEEKEND my brother pointed out the lump in my neck again was supposed to be Hannah’s memorial. My family wouldn’t have gathered that weekend had it not been for her. Pregnancy probably enlarged my thyroid and tumor, so we wouldn’t have found it had it not been for Hannah. I know that in my bones. I DON’T want to survive anything else. I just want to be boring or have a period where we’re just going through the motions. At the same time, I don’t think I would stop and see what’s in front of me as much if everything was easy. It’s been like cold water to my face; it’s woken me up. Today, I feel good. I’ve got a funny 3-year-old and a husband who’s my rock. This little family that I have is my reason.

TAYLOR BOWLER is lifestyle editor of this magazine.

JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

THE BUZZ

LG BTQ

HB2+5

Five years after the furor of House Bill 2, the LGBTQ community—in Charlotte, in North Carolina, and across much of the nation—fights attacks on new fronts

THE LGBTQ ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION Charlotte Pride held a news conference in late April in response to the murders of Jaida Peterson and Remy Fennell, two Black transgender women in Charlotte, in separate incidents earlier in the month. The group announced a new relief fund to pay for emergency housing, food, and other needs for Black transgender women, who speakers said are especially vulnerable. “Charlotte has been violent toward trans people for years,” said Nada Merghani, Charlotte Pride’s programs manager. “Our sisters are dying.” The murders were the organization’s focus, but no one could miss the context. Charlotte was the epicenter of the fight over LGBTQ rights in North Carolina five years ago, when the legislature passed

CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

notorious House Bill 2. In the first months of 2021, N.C. lawmakers—and their counterparts in 31 other states—have introduced bills that target transgender people for discrimination on other fronts. In 2016, North Carolina joined a slew of states that adopted “bathroom bills” that required transgender people to use public restrooms that matched their genders at birth. This year, the anti-trans bills mainly target two areas: health care and women’s sports. As of this writing, lawmakers in 22 states have introduced bills that would either prohibit certain kinds of health care services, like those related to gender reassignment, or allow health care providers to refuse services based on “conscience.” Legislators in 32 states have introduced bills that would pro-

hibit transgender girls or women from participation in girls’ or women’s sports because, they claim, transgender girls and women are naturally boys and men with inherent physical advantages. Some of the bills languish or have died in committee; others, like sports-related bills in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas, have been signed into law. To date, none of the three N.C. bills—Senate 514 and 515, which center on health care, and House 358, which addresses women’s sports—have made it out of committee. In April, a spokesman for Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger told WFAE in Charlotte that “(w)e do not see a pathway” for Senate Bill 514, which Continued on page 20

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THE BUZZ would bar doctors from performing gender reassignment surgery for anyone younger than 21 and require government employees, including teachers, to notify parents in writing if a child displays gender nonconformity. Late in the month, House Speaker Tim Moore told reporters that lawmakers wouldn’t move forward on HB358, either. “A wise legislature,” Moore told The News & Observer in Raleigh, “does not go out looking for social issues to tap.” TO N.C. TRANS ACTIVISTS and civil rights organizations, though, the bills’ chances of becoming law aren’t the point. “It’s a coordinated attack coming from groups like the Heritage Foundation and ALEC to push a, quote-unquote, conservative agenda that is primarily focused on creating a wedge issue through fear that will regain some of the traction that they’ve lost, particu-

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what touched off the wave of bills or explains their timing. The election of a president and vice president who openly support LGBTQ rights may be part of the reason. But Johnson points to the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2020 ruling in Bostock vs. Clayton County, Georgia, that an employer who fires someone for being gay or transgender violates federal civil rights law. (Justice Neil Gorsuch, a Trump appointee, wrote the majority opinion, which infuriated some conservative activists.) Should any similar legislation pass in the future, Chicurel-Bayard says, it would face a legal challenge on constitutional grounds, specifically that it violates the Equal Protection Clause and—in the case of the women’s sports bills—Title IX, the federal law that prohibits gender discrimination in education programs or activities that receive federal funding.

“Isolation is their tactic, and it will result in death.” —NADA MERGHANI, PROGRAMS MANAGER, CHARLOTTE PRIDE

larly with white suburban women,” says Kendra Johnson, the executive director of Equality North Carolina, a Raleigh-based advocacy and political lobbying organization for LGBTQ people statewide. Last year, in the months before the presidential election, Republican women leaders warned that the party was increasingly alienating white female voters through President Trump’s mishandling of the pandemic, insulting statements by Trump and other Republican officials, and deliberate aggravation of racial issues. Hurting transgender people under the guise of protecting children, Johnson says, is a useful way to exploit fear of “a greatly misunderstood and extremely vulnerable group” to regain political support. “What we’re seeing in North Carolina— which used to be a testing ground for a lot of hot-button issues, like HB2—is part of a broader national wave that is attacking transgender rights across the board,” says Dustin Chicurel-Bayard, a spokesman for the ACLU of North Carolina. “So it’s not just C-level players. It’s a national, coordinated effort.”

CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

Equality NC has focused since last year on education and outreach to members of the LGBTQ community, members of the general public, and sympathetic local officials throughout the state, Johnson says: “We’ll keep engaging the base, keeping folks informed, sharing as much information as possible ... and we’ll keep up the heat.” Merghani and the other trans activists at the news conference in Charlotte said they can draw a direct line from the attitude behind the proposed legislation to violence toward Black transgender women. Restrictions to health care and sports “create a situation where they’re completely siloed from their communities,” Merghani said. “Isolation is their tactic, and it will result in death.” STILL, THE DOOR IS NOW OPEN for local governments to better protect their LGBTQ citizens from harm. House Bill 142, which Governor Roy Cooper signed into law in 2017 and replaced HB2, prohibited city and county governments from adopting ordinances that protected

members of the LGBTQ community from specific types of discrimination—like forbidding them from using public bathrooms that match their gender identities. HB2 was a direct response to Charlotte’s adoption of those protections through a nondiscrimination ordinance in 2016. The HB142 prohibition expired on Dec. 1, 2020. Since then, at least eight local governments—including the cities of Greensboro, Chapel Hill, Durham, and Asheville—have adopted LGBTQ protections. Why hasn’t Charlotte? “Charlotte did the right thing when we discussed this originally in 2015 and then 2016, and Charlotte needs to do the right thing again. There’s no reason to delay passing a nondiscrimination ordinance,” says Matt Comer, Charlotte Pride’s communications director. “It’s the right thing for the city, not only because it’s good for business, but more importantly because we need to protect the people who live here.” Charlotte city officials are holding off not because they don’t want to pass another ordinance but because they want to make sure they make it as airtight as they can, says Mayor Pro Tem Julie Eiselt. The Human Rights Campaign, a national organization, drove the nondiscrimination effort in Charlotte in 2015 and 2016. This time around, Eiselt says, city officials have worked with Equality NC on an ordinance tailored more precisely to the realities of North Carolina culture and politics—mainly the continued control of the General Assembly by the GOP. “There is a definite desire on council to do this in a way that we feel we can get it passed and that is defendable, where we would win if we got sued,” Eiselt says. “Whatever happens to Charlotte is going to impact the rest of the state, so we want to take our time to get it right.” Johnson, who confirms that she’s been in touch with Eiselt and other Charlotte council members, says she understands the need for the state’s largest city to exercise more care given its experience with HB2. An ordinance that endures, she says, is worth a few months’ delay. “I believe,” she says, “we’ll see several more cities taking this step in subsequent months.”

GREG LACOUR is the senior editor of this magazine.

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CU LT U R E

Oh, Snap!

New ‘selfie museum’ in Concord celebrates the 1990s BY ANDY SMITH PHOTOGRAPHS BY LOGAN CYRUS

TWENTY-TWO MILLION AMERICANS lost their jobs during the first two months of the pandemic. Jessica Jones, a 35-year-old Baltimore native who worked for MetLife in Charlotte, was one of them. “I said then that I will never lose another job,” she says in April, “because I will be the job.”

JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

THE GOOD LIFE

Jones had noticed the success of socalled “selfie museums”—art installations specifically designed as social media photo backdrops—and decided to dedicate one to her favorite decade: the 1990s. She began a pilot project for friends and family at her own 800-square-foot home in Charlotte, complete with wall-to-ceiling murals of ’90s pop-culture mementos from Rugrats cartoons to Blockbuster VHS tapes. The most popular mural, painted by local artist Inigma Productions: “The Fresh Prince of Charlotte,” inspired by the Will Smith sitcom. Jones opens the fully realized The Home of the ’90s Museum, a 4,000-squarefoot, 12-room venue in Concord, on July 3. It inhabits a commercial building at 404 Winecoff School Road that previously served as a pet spa, musical instrument dealer, and thrift store. Now, it’s packed with ’90s memorabilia, furniture, and murals by Inigma, DeNeer Davis, MyrrhMadeArt, Maargechaarge, and Tajmah Allison, among others. As Jones walks me through the new museum via Zoom, I catch glimpses of the exhibitions: a Kool-Aid Man bursting into a mock living room; a bar dedicated to Fruit Stripe gum; and graffitied phrases like “Boo-Yah,” “Fresh,” and “Dope.” Over the past few years, selfie museums have sprouted around the country. The Museum of Ice Cream, now a travel-

CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

ing pop-up that stops in major American cities, lets visitors set themselves in ice cream- and candy-themed rooms. The museum spent a year in San Francisco before it toured and drew 500,000 visitors. Selfie-portraitists have flocked in similar numbers to The Museum of Pizza in New York City and Color Factory in Houston. The trend extends south, too: The Trap Music Museum in Atlanta enlisted rapper-actor T.I. as a guest curator, and Greensboro has The Rich Girls Museum, where visitors can snap selfies in rooms arranged like VIP sections and the pink interior of a private jet. We spoke with Jones and business partner Camille Stinson about their vision, how you can visit, and why the ’90s aesthetic endures. CHARLOTTE MAGAZINE: I’ve recently been feeling a bit nostalgic for this era myself. But how do you answer that question I’m sure you’ve heard many times: Why the ’90s? JESSICA JONES: It’s the ’90s! It’s this sense of vibrancy and happiness from that time. When people came to the first (museum), their mouths dropped, and they smiled; some even cried. They wanted to use the space for proposals, baby showers. For them, it’s the best era, and it just means happiness to them. The reason that you’re wanting to be engulfed in the ’90s right

now is because we’ve been dealing with a time of so much unhappiness. So we look for whatever little piece of happiness or color we can. CAMILLE STINSON: It’s a throwback to this time of cookouts and everyone playing together, which is not something you see as much these days, and especially over the past year.

This selfie museum has murals by regional artists Inigma, DeNeer Davis, MyrrhMadeArt, Maargechaarge, and Tajmah Allison, among others.

CM: What are you bringing from that first version in Charlotte to this new Concord space, which is five times bigger? JJ: There were six artists at the original Home of the ’90s, and five of them are in the new one. So it’s been repeat business for these muralists, and we’ve now established what it’s going to look like. All of the images that we had in the first one we wanted somehow in the second one, but just bigger and better and more obnoxious (laughs). Just more smiles and more colors. We’re saying 12 rooms, but within those, it’s probably, like, upwards of 25 individual spaces for photos. CM: So along with upfitting the space, that’s a major investment in artists. JJ: Yes, and it’s the best of the best, and we’re also working with young, up-andcoming people. We have this young lady named Draya, and she’s 17. She usually does portraits, and we were connected through friends. She’s really having fun in this space. CM: And she wasn’t even alive in the ’90s. JJ: That’s how we knew this was going to be successful. It’s not just someone who was 20 years old then or only kids of the

’90s loving it; 20-year-olds seeing it now are in. I know people born in the ’60s and ’70s who say, “Hey, I’m a ’90s baby, too” because of how they remember that decade. There’s just something about that time. We’re creating partnerships with preschools and kids’ programs right now, too: We want children and adults both to see this era that everybody’s talked about. There will also be other ways to experience it: We also have an 1,800-square-foot space, which you can rent for private events like bridal showers, birthday parties, things like that. That will run independently from the museum, and there will be certain spots you can only see when using that space. CM: Have you visited other selfie museums across the country? JJ: Definitely. And not to discredit them, because so many of them are great, but it always felt like they were limiting themselves. The Trap Museum is great, but not everyone loves trap music. Rich Girls Museum: amazing concepts, great colors. But we want this space to appeal to boys, girls, Black and white people, be handicapped-accessible. We just didn’t want to put ourselves in a box, which is also why

it’s not just a pop-up. We want an ongoing, successful place that’s for everyone. CM: Is there something in particular about the Charlotte area that makes this concept work? JJ: That’s a great question, but no, actually (smiles). My opinion is that this concept could work anywhere. And maybe it will. CS: Oh, we’re going to Cali, too, next. JJ: Oh, yes. This place here is going to be magical. We’re coming for Disney, too. We want this to be one of the Carolinas’ most talked-about attractions. We’re making sure of that, I promise. And we want to bring that happiness to everyone. The Home of the ’90s Museum opens on July 3. Admission is $30 for timed entry, with annual membership running $100 per year for unlimited one-hour visits. Follow @homeofthe90smuseum on Instagram for more information.

ANDY SMITH is executive editor of this magazine. JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

THE GOOD LIFE

ST YL E

Summer Partee

From woodwork to retail, the kindergarten teacher-turned-designer has learned how to do it herself

IT WOULD BE EASY TO MISTAKE Summer Partee for a lady of leisure, with her flowing blonde tresses, pristine white blouse, and gentle Southern drawl. But don’t let her delicate exterior fool you. The founder of Summer Blaise Interiors and Events knows her way around a hardware store. “I love working with power tools,” she says. “I get so many stares when I go to Lowe’s. Guys are like, ‘Do you know what a screwdriver is?’” Partee laughs it off. “I’m not a high feminist—we definitely need men in our life—but I’m not going to wait for my husband to come home and do projects around the house. I’d rather learn how to do it myself.” The 29-year-old Lake Norman-area native discovered her knack for interiors four years ago after she left her job as a kindergarten teacher to stay home with

CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

her infant son. She used her Belmont home as an outlet to explore her creativity and tackle some DIY projects. “Our budget was really small, with just my husband working,” she says. She learned to refinish old furniture she found at Goodwill, Habitat ReStore, and Facebook Marketplace and spot treasures at local antique stores. Soon, her signature style emerged: a modern farmhouse aesthetic dotted with vintage accents and a neutral palette of creams, beiges, and wood tones. “I started sharing pictures on Instagram and used our house as a marketing tool,” she says. “A couple of people took a chance on me, and my little hobby became a job.” In 2017, Partee launched Summer Blaise Interiors (Blaise is her middle name) out of her house and started with a few small projects at a time. She also had a booth at Catawba River Antiques where she sold

her refinished furniture. Partee added event planning to her brand the next year and brought friend Emily Rhyne on board as a full-time event director and planner for weddings, corporate events, and special occasions. This year, Partee has expanded again, with a Belmont retail store she opened alongside a gift shop called Surprise Me. A large part of the Surprise Me space was unused when Partee visited late last year. “I was in there shopping one day, and I started talking to the owner,” she says. “I could tell COVID had slowed business for her.” Partee closed the deal in January, transformed her half of the space in three weeks—she and a friend built the massive wooden checkout counter themselves— and opened Feb. 4. The shop, on a strip of Main Street that Partee says reminds her of Mayberry, sells

COURTESY JENNIFER ABERCROMBIE BEAUTY

BY TAYLOR BOWLER

COURTESY SUMMER PARTEE

home décor, candles, and a full Frenchinspired apothecary line. A 12-by-4-foot table that Partee built sits in the middle of the floor, and she hopes to use it to lead DIY classes as COVID restrictions ease. Customers can also purchase one-of-akind furniture that Partee refinishes in her home workshop. “It’s stuff that has good bones,” she says, “but needs some help to fit into homes today.” The shop is open on Fridays and Saturdays, “like a flea market,” so Partee can meet with clients and care for 4-yearold son Camden during the week: “I’m still a home-school teacher and mom first.” But she set up an online store so customers can browse her products and get design inspiration whenever they want.

Partee juggles seven to eight clients at a time, and she recently designed the interior of Sole Priorities, a new sneaker shop in Carolina Place Mall. “I don’t say no to projects, even if it’s not the look I usually go for,” she says. Her dream is to restore a French chateau, but for now she’s content with the “dream fixer-upper” she and husband Caleb bought in Gastonia after they sold their house in Belmont. “We’re transforming it into a French country farmhouse,” she says. “A home is meant to be somewhere your family can grow, learn, and go through good times and bad times. That’s always the goal—to create spaces where a family can thrive.”

Partee built the mantle and fireplace feature (above, left) in her Gastonia home. She refinishes antique pieces like pianos (top) in her home workshop and sells them alongside gift bundles (middle) and tabletop décor (bottom) in her Belmont retail store.

TAYLOR BOWLER is lifestyle editor of this magazine. JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

THE GOOD LIFE

“We had a running joke: #allwhiteeverything. We needed one space that was unexpected, so we did this dark, moody bathroom in the basement.”

COURTESY LAURA SUMRAK

—DOMINIQUE DELANEY

CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

RO O M W E LOV E

Off-White

Designer Dominique DeLaney fashions a moody bathroom in Huntersville

DOMINIQUE DELANEY, owner of Dominique DeLaney Interior Design, worked on every room of her clients’ new build in The Enclave community in Huntersville. The homeowners, who have two middle school-aged boys, wanted a light, coastal-inspired interior. So DeLaney installed wirebrushed white oak flooring and incorporated lots of reclaimed wood, ceiling details, and trim work. “The wife loves white, but with two boys, that’s pretty tough to maintain,” DeLaney says. “We had a running joke: #allwhiteeverything. We needed one space that was unexpected, so we did this dark, moody bathroom in the basement.” —Taylor Bowler

FROM THE GROUND UP DeLaney chose the 8-by-8-inch SOCI concrete hexagon floor tiles from Harkey Tile & Stone and based the rest of her design choices around that geometric pattern. She painted the shiplap walls in Benjamin Moore’s Cheating Heart, and the team at Vine & Branch Woodworks built the custom vanity with a weathered oak finish. “We chose that wood for warmth because the floors have a cooler vibe, so it didn’t feel too sterile,” she says. “The black hardware ties it in with the floors.”

THE DARK SIDE To keep the bathroom from feeling like a “windowless dungeon,” DeLaney installed pure white quartz countertops and painted the ceiling bright white. She found the sconces at Arteriors, the mirror at Pottery Barn, and the white canisters at CB2. The Newport Brass plumbing fixtures, which she used throughout the house, add a punch of color.

FOR THE BOYS The bathroom is adjacent to the game room where the boys hang out with friends, so DeLaney found a funny piece of artwork from Artfully Walls to make them laugh. “Boys are really messy, so we had to make sure everything was super durable,” she says, “and that concrete tile can stand up to anything.”

JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

THE GOOD LIFE

B U I L D I N G H I STO RY

Uptown or Downtown?

Archives illuminate how long we’ve argued over the perennial question

NEWCOMERS FIND IT ODD that Charlotteans refer to their city center as “uptown.” Other cities have uptowns, but usually as a counterpoint to a separate area called “downtown.” How and why did Charlotte decide on just “uptown”? Was it some marketing campaign from the 1950s, when suburban plazas like Park Road Shopping Center started eating downtown’s lunch? Or is it older? The name does reflect a geographical truth. Tryon Street runs along a ridgeline—a route that began as part of the Great Trading Path of Catawba Indian times. To reach the intersection of Tryon and Trade streets from any direction, you have to walk uphill. Uptown really is up.

CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

Battles over the uptown/downtown label pop up often on Facebook pages like “Charlotte N.C. The Past and Present.” Even native Charlotteans disagree, often heatedly. Some say: We always called it uptown, far back as I remember! Others insist: No one called it uptown—until new arrivals misnamed it! What’s the real history? Recently, I discovered that the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s history center, the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room, offers a marvelous online resource called NewsBank (charlottehistorytoolkit. com/newspapers). A recent upgrade allows you to word-search The Charlotte Observer’s archive back to 1883 from

the comfort of your (Above) home computer. Commercial buildings began For a historian, to cluster around that’s like candy. I the intersection of immediately typed Trade and Tryon circa 1900, and in “uptown” to see Charlotteans were when the word first already arguing appeared. Aha! Oct. over whether to call the city center 16, 1888, “A Street “downtown” or Car Runaway.” An “uptown.” out-of-control, horse-drawn streetcar without passengers crashed into another and forced its riders to jump off. “Mr. Geo. F. Bason and Mr. Rogers were aboard the uptown car and they got out Continued on page 32

ROBINSON-SPANGLERCAROLINA ROOM, CHARLOTTE-MECKLENBURG LIBRARY

BY TOM HANCHETT

THE GOOD LIFE R E AL E STAT E

Hot Listings

Ritzy residences in Charlotte’s golf course communities. —Taylor Bowler

lively.” It appeared frequently thereafter. 1889: “A Daring Burglary” occurred while Mrs. S.C. Bryan “was uptown buying some garments.” 1897: The Southern Railway opened “an uptown ticket office on Tryon Street.” That proves that “uptown” is no recent invention. It came into use just before 1900, when people needed a word to refer to Charlotte’s newly dense cluster of business buildings around Trade and Tryon. But what about “downtown”? It first showed up on June 9, 1906, nearly 20 years after the runaway streetcar article: a report of a passing blimp, rare at the dawn of manned flight. “The gentleman who made the discovery has a room downtown.” So “uptown” has deeper roots. Charlotteans continued to use both terms, with “uptown” much more frequent. 1908: Ringling Brothers Circus opened a “downtown ticket office.” 1911: “Uptown District … Has Fifty Electric Signs.” 1912, an ad: “Central Hotel, uptown, plenty of good things to eat.” 1914: “Remodeling Under Way on Several Downtown Buildings.” 1930: “Council Adopts Parking Rules in Uptown.” The peaceful coexistence ended in 1959. Merchants, led by department store magnates George Ivey and John Belk, founded an Uptown Charlotte

CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

Association to battle suburban competition. But even then, Charlotte had lots of newcomers, and where they’d come from, “downtown” connoted “business district.” The organization pivoted: “Publicity lends itself to downtown,” explained M.W. Crosland of the rechristened Downtown Charlotte Association. Some old-line Charlotteans wouldn’t let the matter rest, though. Jack Wood, owner of a South Tryon Street clothing shop, mounted an “uptown” campaign in the early 1970s and won sanction from the city government. On Sept. 23, 1974, as recorded in City Council minutes, Mayor John Belk presented Wood and his allies “with a proclamation designating [the] central shopping center and business area as ‘UPTOWN CHARLOTTE.’” So, is the debate settled? “Uptown” has longer tenure and the city’s official approval—but there’s historical precedent to call it “downtown” if you wish. Either way, visit, and bring some money to spend. BUILDING HISTORY is a monthly series that highlights Charlotte’s historic buildings. Tom Hanchett, a local historian since 1981, is the author of Sorting Out the New South City: Race, Class, and Urban Development in Charlotte and former staff historian at the Levine Museum of the New South. Follow him on Twitter at @historysouth.

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ROBINSON-SPANGLER CAROLINA ROOM, CHARLOTTE-MECKLENBURG LIBRARY; COURTESY

By the 1920s, some down/uptown structures soared 10 stories or more.

14109 BALLANTYNE COUNTRY CLUB DRIVE $1,100,000 BALLANTYNE Enjoy views of the fifth hole from this charming English-inspired manor. The main level has a great room with a wood-burning stone fireplace, plus an office, exercise studio, chef’s pantry, and dedicated laundry room. 5 BD, 5 BA, 4,308 sq. ft., Helen Adams Realty, helenadamsrealty.com

THE GOOD LIFE ART S + E V E NT S

The Playlist THE BEST THINGS TO DO AND SEE THIS MONTH BY ANDY SMITH

Fourth of July Celebration at U.S. National Whitewater Center JULY 3-4

ON STAGE IN JULY

These eight musicians and groups perform at local venues this month. Our favorite tracks from each:

➊ Ja Rule, “Real Life Fantasy”

➎ Tropidelic, “Busted Kids”

➋ Jamey Johnson, “Set ’Em Up Joe”

➏ Temple Underground, “Abstract”

➌ Quiana Parler and Charlton Singleton, “You’re

➐ Greyson Chance, “Holy Feeling”

➍ Ward Davis, “Black Cats and Crows”

➑ Dave Matthews Band, “Come Tomorrow”

July 2, The Underground

July 31, The Music Yard at SouthBound

July 17, Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre All I Need to Get By” July 9-10, Middle C Jazz

July 23, Amos’ Southend

July 23, The Evening Muse

July 20, Neighborhood Theatre

July 24, PNC Music Pavilion

Three Drive-In Movie Theaters Near Charlotte These throwback spots show new releases and classic films just outside of the city. HOUND’S DRIVE-IN THEATER 114 Raven Circle, Kings Mountain

BADIN ROAD DRIVE-IN 2411 Badin Road, Albemarle

SUNSET DRIVE-IN THEATRE 3935 Sunset Blvd., Shelby

Distance from uptown: 33 miles Cost: $20 per car

Distance from uptown: 45 miles Cost: $7 for adults; $5 for kids 6-11; free for age 5 and under

Distance from uptown: 50 miles Cost: $15 per car

CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

Other patriotic celebrations planned this year: JULY 1-11 QUEEN CHARLOTTE FAIR Route 29 Pavilion JULY 3 INDIAN TRAIL JULY 3RD PARADE Downtown Indian Trail JULY 4 CHARLOTTE KNIGHTS VS. NORFOLK TIDES (fireworks following) Truist Field

COURTESY; SHUTTERSTOCK

MIXTAPE:

Independence Day events are expected to return this summer, including this popular two-day festival. Enjoy sporting events, food, yoga sessions, live music, and fireworks. Con Brio, the soul and rock act from San Francisco, headlines the July 3 event, and Nashville rockers Moon Taxi take the stage July 4.

THE GOOD LIFE

PART Y P I C S

Seen Upcoming Calendar of Events Submit your event online at charlottemagazine.com/calendar, and look forward to seeing more from these: JULY 7/9-10 FabFest fabfestcharlotte.org 7/9 Lady in Red Gala 2021 eventbrite.com

Freedom School Partners

7/18 Girl Tribe Pop Up in the Garden girltribepopup.com

Drive-In Gala April 27, 2021

7/30-31 Twenty Years of 24 Hours of Booty 24foundation.org

1. Glenda Bernhardt and Makayla McMullen 2. Jonathan Russell 3. Glenda Bernhardt and Christian Reid 4. Kevin Wright

7/31-8/1 8th Annual Global Soldier Festival ahbvets220.org

Cedric Mangum’s 60th Birthday and Drive-Thru May 2021

1. Cedric Mangum (center) with friends and family 2. Carol Sawyer, Tom Hanchett, Cedric Mangum Sr., Ceondria Mangum, Gigi Mangum, Ken Koontz

Opera Carolina

1. Gail Haley and Mehl Renner 2. Mahari Freeman 3. Peter Paliyenko and Leslie Paliyenko 4. Kelsey Harrison

CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

DANIEL COSTON

Opera Brunch II Holiday Inn uptown April 18, 2021

Comprehensive Ambulatory Services for Both Acute and Chronically Ill Patients. 2 CONVENIENT LOCATIONS SERVING THE CHARLOTTE AREA Rock Hill 1932 Ebinport Road Suite 103 Rock Hill, SC 29732

Charlotte 3315 Springbank Lane Suite 100 Charlotte, NC 28226

THE GOOD LIFE

Baby Bundles

Beverages & Bundles Capitol April 27, 2021

It’s All Theatre Wing Haven April 21, 2021

1.Singers Jonathan Kaufman, Julia Woodward, Lauren Russell, David Clark, and Ashley West-Davis 2. Lauren Russell 3. Susan Evans and friends

CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

Charlotte Wine & Food Weekend April 14-18, 2021

1. Meg McElwain and Lauren Deese at Poplar tapas restaurant 2. Palmer Steel and sommelier Anthony Washington at Grand Bohemian Hotel 3. Patrons enjoy the event at Bonterra Dining & Wine Room

COURTESY JOSH BANNEN (CHARLOTTE WINE & FOOD); DANIEL COSTON

1. Ginny Comly 2. Grace Saylowski 3. Heather Leavitt, Laura Vinroot Poole, Emily Harry, and Cat Long 4. Martha-Ann Wardlaw and Robin Barksdale 5. Paula Foust, Cat Long, Emily Harry, and Heather Leavitt

DANIEL A. BAMBINI, MD GRAHAM H. COSPER, MD THOMAS M. SCHMELZER, MD ANDREW M. SCHULMAN, MD JESSICA M. PIERCE, PNP-AC ABIGAYLE L. PRICE, PA ROBERT J. ATTORRI, MD Emeritus DUNCAN MORTON JR., MD Emeritus

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FOOD DRINK

INSIDE: NOW OPEN / LOCAL FLAVOR / BEER / ON THE LINE / THE STORY BEHIND / BITE-SIZED NEWS

EXPLORE THE TASTES OF CHARLOTTE

Scallops with baby spinach and truffle parmesan cream, topped with crispy pancetta.

N OW O P E N

NOVEL ITALIAN

TKTKTKTKTKt Paul Verica brings a simpler

version of the city’s hottest food trend to NoDa

BY TAYLOR BOWLER PHOTOGRAPHS BY PETER TAYLOR

A WAVE OF NEW ITALIAN restaurants has crashed over Charlotte in the past two years: osterias, gourmet pizza places, Venetian wine bars. They’ve opened in affluent areas where upscale restaurants tend to congregate, like uptown, SouthPark, Dilworth, and Myers Park. But Paul Verica, a two-time James Beard semifinalist, ventured outside the nouveau-Italian trend’s bubble in February when he opened Orto in the Novel NoDa project.

JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

FOOD+DRINK

Classic Italian cocktails include Did I Do That? (top) and You Must Be Mine (middle). Artist Duy Huynh’s 13-foot garden mural adorns the dining room (bottom). Chef and owner Paul Verica (top right) leads the kitchen while guests dine on the patio (lower right).

ORTO ITALIAN KITCHEN 416 E. 36th St. ortonoda.com Hours: 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Sunday

CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

The menu is a departure from the farm-totable style he’s known for at The Stanley, but his Italian dishes are just as lovingly prepared. He doesn’t go overboard with unnecessary garnishes or elaborate presentations, because he knows pizza and pasta don’t need to be fancy or reinvented to please the dining public. The 3,000-square-foot space is a few steps from the LYNX Blue Line’s 36th Street Station, in the same building as Wooden Robot and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams. Orto, which means “garden” in Italian, isn’t a dimly lit trattoria with checkered tablecloths and dark stucco walls. The interior is open and bright

with high ceilings, light wood tones, and framed watercolor images Verica brought back from Italy. One wall features a 13-foot mural of a vegetable garden by artist Duy Huynh, who owns Lark & Key gallery in Dilworth. If you don’t mind a little background noise from the light rail or the street traffic from North Davidson, grab a table on the covered patio and order a drink. Mixologist Amanda Britton, formerly of Bardo and VANA, mixes her versions of classic Italian cocktails. Try a You Must Be Mine ($13) with mezcal, Cappelletti, fennel, and blood orange soda or a Did I Do That? ($12) with Campari, Cocchi

(Clockwise from top left) Meatballs topped with tomato sauce and aged provolone; Lobster and Shrimp Ravioli; Mushroom Pizza; Rosemary Focaccia with hummus, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.

Rosa, orange, and prosecco for a refreshing summer libation. You can also order local brews from Resident Culture and Wooden Robot and wine by the glass or bottle. Start with an order of Meatballs ($14) topped with tomato sauce and aged provolone. For something lighter, try the Scallops ($16), served with tomatoes, olives, capers, lemon, parsley, and olive oil. When your server asks if you’d like a complimentary bowl of rosemary focaccia, the correct answer is yes. You’ll want to use the bread to soak up the savory, garlicky drippings from the scallops. Orto’s pizza is a nod to Verica’s favorite ’za, from Pica’s, a venerable joint in his native Philadelphia. His version is a square counterpart to the rectangular Detroitstyle pie, but with a thinner crust. Choose from five varieties, like the traditional Pepperoni ($17) or the White Pizza ($19), with sprouts, onions, pancetta, arugula, ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Each one has 16 square slices, so it’s plenty for two people to split as an entrée or share with a larger group if you want to sample more of the menu. The pasta, made in-house daily, includes traditional Spaghetti and Meatballs ($17),

Fusilli Bolognese ($17), and Lobster & Shrimp Ravioli ($27). Don’t expect oversized American portions—these dishes are much daintier than anything you’d find at a chain restaurant, and Verica isn’t heavy-handed with the olive oil or any of his sauces. Everything has just enough of each ingredient, so you’ll leave satisfied but not stuffed. The dessert menu has Tiramisu ($10), Berry & Ricotta Crostata ($10), and Rosemary and Olive Oil Cake ($10) topped with lemon sorbet. Pair them with an after-dinner cocktail or Italian liqueur like Cardamaro ($8), Fernet Branca ($9), or Cynar ($9). You can also head next door to Jeni’s for a scoop of ice cream and stroll around NoDa if that caught your eye on the way in. Orto is the neighborhood Italian spot NoDa was missing. The menu isn’t overwhelming or full of ingredients you won’t recognize, but it’s consistently good—and a lot more exciting than your typical Friday night pizza delivery.

Don’t leave without trying: The Mushroom Pizza ($18) topped with sprouts, caramelized onions, pancetta, gorgonzola sauce, and a three-cheese blend started as a special but was so popular, Orto made it a permanent menu item.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: Guests must pay to park in the adjacent parking garage. Download the app in advance so you’re not late for your reservation—and pay for 30 more minutes than you think you’ll need, because they’re serious about ticketing.

TAYLOR BOWLER is lifestyle editor of this magazine. JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

LO C AL F L AVO R

#STRONGASABATCH After a flash flood destroyed her beloved bakery, Cristina Rojas-Agurcia, a.k.a. “The Batchmaker,” is back BY TAYLOR BOWLER

CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

FROM THE DAY the Batch House opened in Wesley Heights in October 2019, a line of customers usually wrapped around the red brick building, hoping to get a Caramel-Stuffed Brownie or Dirty Oreo Truffle before they sold out. Cristina Rojas-Agurcia—Cris, as her regulars call her—was often behind the counter, chatting with them about the puppy they’d rescued or the baby shower they’d hosted. If she mentioned she’d run out of

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FOOD+DRINK

cream cheese, customers would show up with a fresh supply. The 34-year-old mom of two hosted monthly Saturday-morning story times and made treats to go with the week’s book selection. In November 2020, after an already crushing year for the food and beverage industry, a flash flood destroyed the Batch House. The kitchen was submerged in four feet of water that ruined the coffee machine, freezer, cash register, and countless ingredients. An army of friends and neighbors helped with the cleanup, and Venmo donations poured in. The #strongasabatch hashtag followed Rojas-Agurcia on social media. But she was shattered. “I gave it all my energy, my time, and my love,” she says, “and what nearly broke me was that I had nothing physical to show for it.”

LOGAN CYRUS

SEVEN YEARS AGO, Rojas-Agurcia pursued her master’s degree in clinical mental health as she baked oatmeal crème pies, s’mores brownies, and snickerdoodle cakes and sold them from her Highland Creek home. Baking was always a hobby for the Honduras native, who is self-taught and says everything she makes is something she’s craved and thought through while she runs. She made elaborate layer cakes for weddings and birthday parties and sold “batch boxes” with assorted seasonal treats through her Facebook page, but by 2017 she couldn’t keep up with demand. Her husband, Pablo, a creative director and designer, set up a website for “The Batchmaker,” the name he coined for his wife in 2013. Rojas-Agurcia put her clinical hours on hold and started looking at spaces to expand the business. When she stumbled upon a vacant coffee shop next to LaCa Projects, a contemporary art gallery, the Batchmaker knew she’d found her place. She decorated it with botanical wallpaper, hanging plants, velvet couches, and a wall of vintage china plates so it “felt like walking into your grandma’s house,” she says. The Golden Girls-themed bathroom was a nod to her favorite TV show. AFTER THE FLOOD, Rojas-Agurcia moved to The City Kitch, a nearby commercial kitchen, to finish her holiday orders and keep her “girls” employed through Christmas, but she stopped all production in January. She stepped away from social media and “tried to disappear for a

(Opposite) Cristina Rojas-Agurcia at her new location in Station West, a mixed-use project in west Charlotte. The Batch House’s previous space on Bryant Street (top) flooded in November 2020. Signature Batch House treats include homemade Peanut Butter and Jelly Pop Tarts (above).

bit,” she says, “and I logged back in only to read hundreds of messages from people saying what the Batch House meant to them and how much they missed me or my girls. I realized it was never about just the treats.” She began looking at new spaces. In March, she announced she’d reopen in Station West, a mixed-use project at 901 Berryhill Road in west Charlotte. The 1,500-square-foot space was a “gray shell” in need of a full commercial kitchen. She installed a coffee bar that will serve drip coffee and a rotation of draft flavors like her popular Tres Leches. A glass pastry case will display signature treats and quirky confections like Peanut Butter and Jelly Pop Tarts and Batcheroos, her homemade spin on Dunkaroos. And the exterior, she’s decided, will be pink. “It will be ‘granny chic’ times a million,” she says. As she rebuilt the Batch House, RojasAgurcia knew she wanted to give back to the community that pegged her #stron-

gasabatch, so she’s unrolling a charitable initiative called Cookies for Counseling. “We’ll donate a percentage of all cookie sales to people who can’t afford counseling,” she says. “It’s a way to tie both of my worlds together.” She’ll also cover counseling costs for any staff members who need help. WITH HER GRAND OPENING on track for late summer, Rojas-Agurcia can’t wait to bring back the girls she had to furlough and catch up with her regulars over oatmeal crème pies. The kitchen will once again smell of Chocolate Puddle Cookies fresh from the oven, the bathroom will have a new collection of Golden Girls trinkets and décor, and Cris will reclaim her spot behind the counter to greet her customers—and thank each one for being a friend. TAYLOR BOWLER is lifestyle editor of this magazine. JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

FOOD+DRINK

O N T H E LI N E W I T H

PAUL CRUZ

The longtime FS Food Group chef embraces Latin-inspired cuisine at their newest concept, Calle Sol Latin Café and Cevicheria BY TAYLOR BOWLER

Age: 39 You might know him from: When he was executive chef at Mama Ricotta’s Family status: Father of two kids, 11 and 8 Hometown: Lumberton Currently lives in: Matthews Favorite sports team: Panthers

What’s been the biggest challenge of transitioning from Italian to Cuban cuisine? I’ve been working for Frank (Scibelli, founder of FS Food Group) for 10 years, and I’ve been at every concept, so I’m used to it. I started at Bad Daddy’s, opened all the Midwoods (Smokehouses), and helped with the Yafos here and there. Then I was at Mama Ricotta’s for about two years. Tell me about developing a Latin-inspired menu. We’ve spent some time in Miami and worked with a Cuban chef there, Ana Quincoces, from The Real Housewives of Miami. We toured the city, ate at multiple restaurants, and cooked with Ana to learn to how to make the homestyle Cuban food your grandmother would make. We also worked with a Puerto Rican chef in Orlando, Frankie Ruiz. There are similarities in those styles of cooking. The menu has a Miami vibe, with Cuban, Peruvian, and Latin influences. What’s your favorite meal to cook? I’m actually very simple when it comes to cooking. I like simple, straightforward food like a good roasted chicken and potatoes. That would be my last meal. What do you think is an underappreciated flavor? Bay leaf. When we cooked with Frankie and Ana, they both used bay leaf in everything. The holy trinity was bay leaf, oregano, and white pepper. In this cuisine you need layers of flavor, and that’s what you use to get it.

CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

THE TOUGH STUFF Chocolate or cheese? Cheese Coffee or tea? Tea Cake or pie? Pie Spaghetti and meatballs or spicy noodles? Spaghetti and meatballs Lobster roll or egg roll? Egg roll Top Chef or Chopped? Chopped Comedy or drama? Comedy More money or more free time? More free time Street eats or sit-down? Street eats Facebook or Instagram? Facebook

What’s the most creative dish you’ve ever made? We did a dinner a few years ago at Camp North End with Yafo Kitchen. We made an Italian and Israeli mashup; it was a version of burrata with a Lebanese yogurt cheese inside. Is there one recipe you’d still love to master? Bolognese—there are so many different ways to do it. Any food trends you’re watching? I’m keeping a close eye on Latin cuisine. In Charlotte especially, with all the Sabors, the Latin side is gonna keep growing. What’s your favorite adult beverage? I like all IPAs. Any foods you won’t touch? There’s nothing I wouldn’t try. I haven’t been ruined yet (laughs). What do you like to do outside of work? I hang out with my kids outside. We throw a football, play soccer, or ride bikes. What’s your favorite restaurant in Charlotte other than your own? There’s a great hole-in-thewall Chinese place near my house, Lam’s Kitchen. I get takeout there about once a week. What’s your guiltiest pleasure? Rocky road ice cream. Any rules to live by in the kitchen? Work hard.

COURTESY RÉMY THURSTON

Where does your love of cooking come from? I grew up in the business. My parents have owned an Italian restaurant since 1986 called Adelio’s in Lumberton. I started cooking there when I was 10 or 11.

BITE-SIZED STO R I E S

Foodie Tidbits on a Small Plate T H E STO RY B E H I N D. . .

Xiao Bao’s Okonomiyaki OKONOMIYAKI LOOKS LIKE A JAPANESE PIZZA, but it’s actually a savory cabbage pancake drizzled with sweet soy sauce and Japanese mayonnaise and topped with a fried egg. Okonomiyaki is a signature dish at the Charleston-based Xiao Bao Biscuit and its sister concept, Xiao Bao, which opened at Optimist Hall earlier this year. Chef and owner Joshua Walker first discovered okonomiyaki on a trip to Japan, where he visited a rice farm outside Osaka and sharpened his Japanese cooking techniques. “Only perfect vegetables go on supermarket shelves in Japan, so this is a great foil for leftovers or imperfect vegetables,” he says. Walker makes his version with cabbage, scallions, and carrots and adds a sriracha drizzle, which isn’t typical in Japan. Instead of a heavy okonomiyaki sauce (a Japanese condiment made with ketchup, Worcestershire, and oyster sauce), he uses sweet soy “so there’s more of a sweetsalty-spicy thing going on.” At Xiao Bao, customers can add toppings like egg, bacon, or pork candy so it resembles cabbage hash browns. “Cabbage is a really humble XIAO BAO vegetable,” Walker says. “A potato is a sexy vegetable; cabbage is really Optimist Hall 1115 N. Brevard St., #14 delicious but doesn’t get as much love. It’s a challenge to serve it in a xiaobaocharlotte.com way that makes people agree with you, and this is such a fun way to eat cabbage.” —Taylor Bowler

Best Bites Our favorite dish this month, chosen by Charlotte magazine staff

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I CAN’T WAIT, $10 SALUD CERVECERIA

NOTHING MAKES A NATIVE WEST VIRGINIAN perk up like the phrase “pepperoni roll,” and I’m always surprised to see one on menus outside of the Appalachian Mountains, as I did happened last May during a late-night excursion to Salud in NoDa. Among the list of starters on the menu is I Can’t Wait: “six pepperoni rolls topped with house red sauce and shaved Parm.” I’m in, obviously. The toppings, though, were my first sign that this was a different sort of pepperoni roll: The classic West Virginia one is pepperoni and cheese wrapped entirely in dough, first made for Italian coal miners in need of a portable meal. Salud’s roll is pinwheel-style, yet similarly addictive. Grab some napkins, because the sauce is plentiful, and these tear easily. For those who “Can’t Wait” for the entrée, this is among the heartiest appetizers in the city. —Andy Smith

Joe and Katy Kindred will open their third restaurant, milkbread, this fall at 624 Jetton St. in Davidson. The all-day café will serve milk bread donuts, crispy chicken, vegetable bowls, and salads, plus coffee and a rotation of independent wine and beer. Former Zeppelin executive chef VINCE GIANCARLO will run the kitchen at The Jimmy, the latest concept from veteran restaurateur Jim Noble. The bistro-style eatery serves coffee and pastries by Copain in the morning and Mediterranean-inspired dishes for lunch and dinner. PARA, a new cocktail and tapas bar, will replace Zeppelin in South End. Chef de Cuisine Alex Verica, previously of The Stanley, will lead the kitchen. After hosting a series of popups across the city, CHEAT’S CHEESESTEAK PARLOR will open a permanent location in Plaza Midwood later this summer. The team at The Crunkleton is behind the concept, which serves the famous sandwich with Cheez Whiz on Amoroso’s buns shipped from Philadelphia. —Taylor Bowler

JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

FOOD+DRINK

BEER

Summer Sips: Lager Edition Three notable light brews to try this summer LAGERS AREN’T JUST BEERS for beginners. These days, Charlotte breweries put as much care into this style as their barrel-aged imperial stouts. Below, we look at three of the best. Though each takes a different approach, all have the main characteristic of a classic lager: a crisp drinkability that refreshes on a blazing Southern day. —Andy Smith

SPRATT’S PREMIUM LAGER

Don’t let the throwback label and 12-ounce can fool you: Spratt’s is crisp and drinkable, but it’s not a rehash of classic recipes. Town used Pilsner malts, heirloom rice, and American hops in this concoction, which the brewery says it “crafted with pride at the crossroads of tradition and innovation.”

CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

DIVINE BARREL BREWING

LEGION BREWING

You have to love the stripped-down approach to an American lager called … “American Lager,” with a white can adorned only by plain black text. Divine Barrel aimed for and captured the classic light lager taste—and says the result is “as American as apple pie and baseball.”

Quick history lesson: The flagship beers of Budweiser, Coors, and PBR are made in the Pilsner style, which brewers at Pilsner Urquell Brewery in Plzeň, Czech Republic, concocted in 1842. Pilsner Urquell was the world’s first pale lager, and the brewery still makes it today. What does that have to do with penguins? No clue, but Legion’s looks and tastes great.

AMERICAN LAGER

PENGUIN PILS

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TOWN BREWING CO.

Dr. Maria Baimas-George, at home with her cats, Archie (left, on windowsill) and Doug, has written and illustrated 16 children’s books to teach hospitalized kids about anatomy and ease their fear and anxiety.

CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

A surgery resident wrote a series of children’s books and created a special kind of medical magic

BY JEN TOTA McGIVNEY PHOTOGRAPHS BY RUSTY WILLIAMS ILLUSTRATIONS BY DR. MARIA BAIMAS-GEORGE

JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

It lessened Laura’s stress, too. When Mac’s pain increased, she referenced the story to remind him what would happen next and how he would get better. As she relayed updates to relatives, Laura consulted the book to explain Mac’s situation. She also cherished it as a gift to a worried mom. “It absolutely was a type of medicine,” Laura says. “It was about (doctors) showing that little extra care and concern, acknowledging, ‘This is your child, this is traumatic, and we’re going to try to make it a less anxious experience for you.’”

MAC KONITZER had always been a healthy kid. No hospital visits, no injuries, no big sicknesses. But at 17, Mac’s appendix ruptured. As an athlete, he figured he’d just torn a muscle, so he lived with the pain for several days last November, even taking the SAT. When the pain grew more severe, his mom, Laura, took him to the emergency department, where doctors diagnosed sepsis—a life-threatening condition. “Mac’s never been sick. This was our first hospital experience,” Laura says. “I felt helpless.” Dr. Maria Baimas-George, a thirdyear resident in the General Surgery Department at Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center, spent time with the family to explain the situation and prepare them for Mac’s next steps. She offered them a book on appendicitis as a resource. It wasn’t a typical medical book. Ruptured Appendicitis: My Worm Exploded! is about a girl whose day gets rudely interrupted by a worm in her stomach. Usually the worm—a piece of intestine, actually—doesn’t do much (“It usually lives a very boring life like a cat. It has no job.”), but sometimes it gets blocked. That’s when the worm gets angry and red and wages war. (Here, the worm

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wields an axe and mace.) Sometimes it explodes. Using the worm analogy, the story explains the cause of appendicitis, the surgery to fix it, and what recovery feels like. At the end are sections on “Doctor Words” (glossary of terms) and “After Surgery” (what to expect when). “It lessened the stress,” Mac says. “When I started to read the book, it helped me understand what was going on. The pictures, especially. I didn’t even know what an appendix looked like at first.”

THE SURGEON who gave Mac and Laura the book is also its author: Baimas-George. The 32-year-old surgical resident has written stories since she was a kid in the Boston area. Her Montessori school teachers gave her a desk for story writing at playtime while other kids played with toys. (“I was a weird child,” she says.) Even as science and medicine captured her attention in college at Colgate, she continued to take English classes. Today, she’s a surgical resident who works 80-hour weeks, and she’s still writing. During her pediatric surgery rotation, Baimas-George saw how nervous children and their parents became in the hospital—understandably—and worried how it would affect their care. Anxious caregivers and patients can have trouble remembering what doctors say or thinking of the right question to ask at the right moment. Even for children who are stable with good prognoses, uncertainty compounds fear. Baimas-George, a big Harry Potter fan, thought of a Dumbledore quote: “It’s the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more.”

Studies show that the more patients and caregivers know, the better the recovery. “Treating patients’ fear and stress and anxiety is part of being a doctor,” Baimas-George says.

Baimas-George wrote Ruptured Appendicitis: My Worm Exploded! about a girl whose day is rudely interrupted by a “worm” in her stomach. Appendicitis: One Angry Worm (bottom) is also available in Spanish.

When I started to read the book, it helped me understand what was going on. The pictures, especially. I didn’t even know what an appendix looked like at first. —MAC KONITZER

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CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

She wanted to shine light on the darkness. Like Dumbledore, she wanted to talk to kids in a way that respected their curiosity and honored their resilience. “The inspiration was to create a road map,” she says, “a way to instill comfort and hope and supplement our medical conversations in a very non-scary way.” Baimas-George has written 16 children’s books devoted to common conditions that lead to surgery or emergency department visits, such as concussion, inflammatory bowel disease, and umbilical hernia. The stories teach kids basic anatomy, prepare them for procedures and recoveries, and introduce them to the types of doctors they’ll meet. Her hunch was that more medical information would help, not scare, pediatric patients and their caregivers. Her hunch was correct: Data show that the books help in powerful ways that can improve how well patients do in and beyond the hospital. Her books have created a bit of magic. Baimas-George has, in a way, become the Dumbledore of CMC. WHEN BAIMAS-GEORGE first told her surgical colleagues about her appendicitis book project, they were more than personally supportive—they were professionally curious. Could these books improve the hospital experience for pediatric patients and their caregivers? Atrium’s surgeon-in-chief, Dr. Brent Matthews, encouraged her to apply for a grant through the hospital’s academic enrichment fund. The goal was to study how her books affect the caregivers of pediatric surgical patients. One group of caregivers received a BaimasGeorge book, and another didn’t. Caregivers who received the book reported significantly higher levels of satisfaction and comprehension and reduced levels of apprehension during patients’ hospital stays. Less worry and greater understanding aren’t just feel-good measures in health care. They are health care. Studies show, again and again, that

easing anxiety and increasing caregiver comprehension help patients recover faster and with fewer complications. When kids’ caregivers are calm and understand what is going on and why, they’ll know when to provide pain medication, when to call a doctor, and when to wait. When kids see confident and calm caregivers, they feel less anxious. Professional interest in BaimasGeorge’s books continues: She was chosen to present her findings at the American Pediatric Surgical Association conference in May. Sometimes, medicine doesn’t look like medicine. Sometimes it looks like an axe-wielding worm. “Treating patients’ fear and stress and anxiety is part of being a doctor—it’s not just treating a ruptured appendix,” she says. “It’s about acknowledging, ‘This is scary,’ and helping them feel comfort and hope. That’s a form of medicine we need to practice as well.” BAIMAS-GEORGE isn’t just the author of these books—she’s the illustrator, too. Patients at CMC might spot familiar faces: The characters are her colleagues. When Dr. Daniel Bambini—an Atrium Health surgeon as well as Baimas-George’s mentor and a big supporter of her books—first entered Mac’s room, Mac and Laura exchanged smiles. They instantly recognized him from the appendicitis book. Her illustrations represent the diversity of CMC doctors to offer another lesson to young readers. “I really wanted every kind of human to be represented. I want any kid to look at (the surgeons) and think, ‘I could do this, this could be me,’” Baimas-George says. “Medicine has lagged in terms of diversity—and we’re improving, and surgery in particular is definitely improving—but there’s still a lag. I think having a book that shows the diversity that we strive for will show that this is possible, and kids will believe in giving themselves a chance.”

THIS ISN’T Baimas-George’s first foray into blending children’s lit with medicine. Last year, the Dumbledore of CMC published “The Sorting Hat of Medicine: Why Hufflepuffs Wear Stethoscopes and Slytherins Carry Scalpels,” which correlated personality types (evaluated through the houses of Harry Potter) and medical specialties. It became the most-downloaded paper published in The Journal of Surgical Education in the past three years. Baimas-George (“a definite Gryffindor,” obviously) has discovered a sweet spot in the Venn diagram between children’s literature and children’s health care that’s become a hit with patients, parents, and physicians. So far, however, the books haven’t been a hit with publishers. “They were like, ‘We don’t know what to do with this. This is weird, we’ve never seen books like this, and we don’t know how to market them,’” she says. “It didn’t work out great.” So she prints the books on her own. She and Atrium’s pediatric gastroenterology department distribute them to patients, and she sells them through a website, strengthofmyscars.com. Meanwhile, she writes, draws, and researches. The data from her study were compelling enough for BaimasGeorge to win another grant from the academic enrichment fund to study her next books: a series for caregivers in the neonatal intensive care unit. “The Department of Surgery gave me this incredible opportunity,” she says. “And now, knowing that (the books) did impact people, it’s motivated me and pushed me ever further to keep going and make the most of this opportunity.” Her words recall those of the other Dumbledore: “Words are, in my not so humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic, capable of both influencing injury, and remedying it.” JEN TOTA McGIVNEY is a Charlotte writer who’s written for SUCCESS Magazine, Our State, and Southern Living. She also writes for Atrium Health’s communications department. You can reach her at jennifer. mcgivney@gmail.com or on Twitter, @jen_mcgivney. JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

‘This Is How We’re Going to Make Your Child Better’ Pediatric neurosurgery is

technically and emotionally complex—and traditionally dominated by men. As

Novant’s first female pediatric neurosurgeon, Dr. Erin Kiehna Richardson has had to learn the intricacies of a demanding field and battle sexism along the way By LAUREN LEVINE CORRIHER Illustration by BOB SCOTT Photograph by PETER TAYLOR

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JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

DR. ERIN KIEHNA RICHARDSON, the chair of neurosurgery at Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center, is a rarity in the neurosurgical field and unique in the Novant system. She’s the Novant group’s only female neurosurgeon and, at Novant’s Hemby Children’s Hospital, the only pediatric neurosurgeon—a physician who diagnoses, treats, and manages nervous system issues in children. Those can include brain and spinal deformities, epilepsy, brain tumors, and severe head injuries. Even in the male-dominated world of general surgery, neurosurgery stands out in its gender imbalance: In 2015, less than 8% of neurosurgeons in the U.S. were women. The disparity shows signs of lessening—the number of female neurosurgery residents rose from 10% to 17% from 2005 to 2015—but Kiehna remains a member of a distinct minority. (She got married last year and took her husband’s surname but wanted to use her maiden name for this story.) Her residency at the University of Virginia, where she landed after her graduation from Yale School of Medicine in 2006, drove that point home. She was UVA’s first-ever female neurosurgery resident and the only woman in the program. Kiehna, 40, has lived and worked all over the world but, having grown up in West Columbia, South Carolina, and Huntsville, Alabama, considers herself a Southerner. She was drawn to neurosurgery as an undergraduate at

Vanderbilt, when she enrolled in the oncology education program at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis and spent summers at the world-renowned institution, observing surgeons as they worked. She says she knew then what she wanted to do with her life. Kiehna moved to Charlotte in 2017 to be closer to family, and Novant named her chair of neurosurgery in 2018. She says she relishes the opportunity to use the field’s fast-evolving technology to perform surgeries as minimally invasive as possible. Thanks to investments by Novant and Atrium Health, Kiehna says, “Kids in Charlotte are getting surgeries that they’d otherwise have to go to larger cities to get.” We spoke to Kiehna in March about how she’s handled the ingrained sexism in her field, the effects of COVID on her work, and the future of neurosurgery. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

Charlotte magazine: What do you say to young patients and their families when you have to deliver the tough news? Erin Kiehna Richardson: When I meet families for the first time, they’re probably having the worst day of their lives. I’m pretty much their worst nightmare. No parent wants to hear the word “neurosurgeon.” So I always say, “You’re good parents. You knew something was wrong. You took them to the ER or their pediatrician, and they got the right test and found out why they were having headaches.” Then my goal is to offer hope. “From here on out, here’s our plan. This is how we’re going to make your child better.” You have to be a realist, first of all, but you also have to be an optimist. We cure 80% of pediatric brain tumors. I truly believe that we’re going to cure these kids. Being a pediatric neurosurgeon is very humbling. Kids are innocent of what happens to them. I never have an answer when parents ask me why. “Why did this happen?” Gosh, there were a few cells gone rogue. A few bad players. Our goal is to help guide a family through this. CM: Has COVID changed your approach to the job? EKR: The whole world was unprepared for the COVID pandemic. I think it was incredible how quickly people in the medical fields adapted. We still need to take care of our patients. We have to be safe for them. If the doctors all get sick, the nurses all get sick, we can’t care for them. I’m used to picking up every baby that comes into my office and sitting them on my lap because no baby wants to be put down on an exam table. I’m used to meeting the parents, the younger siblings, and sometimes even the grandparents. It’s been tough not to have the whole family. In COVID, we normally only allow one parent in for appointments, though we do try to bring both in whenever possible. (Ed.: The hospital now allows both.) I can’t imagine what it would be like to get the news that your child needs surgery and be there alone and then have to tell the other one. The other parent is going to be asking you questions and you’re like, “I don’t remember!” I think after you tell a parent that their child needs brain surgery, they shut down. CM: But the good news is that neurology improves and advances all the time, doesn’t it? EKR: For me, that’s the exciting part of my field. The way I took care of a tumor five years ago is not the way I do it now, and it will probably not be the way that I do it in five more years. We stay on the cusp of technological changes so we can have better surgeries and better outcomes. We have a close-knit group of pediatric neurosurgeons that have gotten to know each other over the decades. We’re on national and international committees together. I’d say competition between institutes isn’t a focus.

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I was fortunate to train with people who believed in me, and that’s what made all the difference. They didn’t see me as anything other than somebody who wanted to be the very best neurosurgeon possible. Improving every child’s outcome is the focus. If there’s something new out there, you talk to your colleagues, and you get the word out. When people dramatize our field in TV shows, that’s one thing they get right: how much we need each other and depend on and lean on each other. CM: Surgery, especially neurosurgery, is a notoriously male-dominated discipline. What’s it been like for you, and how often have you encountered sexism? EKR: I think women often have to work harder to prove that they’re just as tough as men, that they can handle that environment. I was fortunate to train with people who believed in me, and that’s what made all the difference. They didn’t see me as anything other than somebody who wanted to be the very best neurosurgeon possible. But when I interviewed for my residency, a certain attending physician asked me what I could bring to neurosurgery that a male couldn’t. I looked at him and I said, “Social graces, for starters.” I mean, what do I have to offer that a male can’t? It should be about, “What more can I bring to the table?” That’s the important thing to focus on. Another time, I was told my place was upstairs on the seventh floor on the pediatrics ward. In general, I think women were deterred from becoming surgeons for so long. When I was in med school, I was told, “This is really tough. You’ll never be able to have a family with that.” Or “You need to think about what you’re putting first.” We’ve now had the benefit of so many women showing us that you aren’t giving anything up to become a mom. You can actually be an even better physician and a better surgeon because you have that level of compassion.

CM: What qualities can women bring to medicine, and how might that change the field? EKR: There are so many incredible women in all sorts of specialties in medicine now that I hope that the viewpoint is changing. And I hope that each of us can pave the way for the next generation of women. I have a friend who’s a physician, and her daughter asked her recently if boys could be doctors, too. I would hope that we’re getting to the point where we’ll never have to ask the question, “Can women do this?” I think we’ve proven that we’re beyond tough enough. But yes, it’s different being a female in a male-dominated field. I think you look at what else you bring to the table as a woman. The kindness. The compassion. The introspection. Trying to be a listener. It’s really important that we provide our female residents with mentorship at every step of their careers. You have friendships with male colleagues, of course, but you lean on women differently. Our national organization has a Women in Neurosurgery group. Even if you don’t have a woman to be a mentor at your institution, we’ll pair you up with somebody. I think that that’s what’s going to make all the difference going forward. CM: What advice would you give to young women who want to become doctors? EKR: Go into medical school with an open mind. In medical school, you learn all the intricacies of every body system. Then you get to go on rotations within every medical specialty. There will be one that you realize you’re jumping out of bed for when your alarm goes off in the morning. That’s the one you should do. CM: What’s your pre-surgery preparation like, and what’s on your mind during the procedures? EKR: I’ll confess, some nights I don’t sleep well before cases. I’ll wake up and be like, “Oh, I’ve got an idea for Plan B or Plan C.” I definitely overprepare. The morning of the surgery, I’ve gone back over the MRI or the CT and all the advanced imaging several times. In my mind, I’ve visualized exactly how I think it’s going to go. From where my cut is in the skin, to what I’m going to see what I’m looking at the brain’s surface. I’m thinking about, Where do I foresee there might be forks in the road? If the tumor is hard and rubbery, I might have to switch plans. If it’s soft and sectionable, I’ve got this other option. You also have to be able to see past what you’re doing to what’s on the other side. There are delicate cranial nerves, the brain stem, the spinal cord, so we have to know what’s in and around the area at all times. That comes from a good understanding of the 3D anatomy integrated with our technology. For difficult cases, if I have a colleague who’s done one recently, I’ll have called

them up beforehand and said, “What pearls of wisdom do you have?” Patients have asked me, “Do you believe in God?” and I say, “The operating room would be a lonely place if you thought you were in there by yourself.” I don’t think it matters what faith you are; we’re all praying for the same thing. I start and end each day with prayer. I pray that things go well and that I’m guided to make the right decisions, that I’m cool and calm if things get challenging. It’s such a privilege to take care of patients, and with great privilege comes great responsibility. You get so in the zone when you’re focused down a microscope that you forget everything. It’s usually about an hour after surgery before I even realize I’m hungry or thirsty. Everything you do is so precise that you forget the world around you. You’re really just focused on the great challenge in front of you. CM: How do you wind down afterwards? EKR: I used to come home to an empty apartment. I killed off all my plants, and I didn’t have a pet. But now that I’m married, it’s really nice to be able to share that with someone. When I leave early in the morning, Tyler always rolls over and says, “I’m proud of you.” It’s really amazing to be married and to have someone to reflect on the day’s events with. He’s not a doctor, but I love being able to talk through it with someone and know I’m not alone as I’m doing this. We watch shows together just like everyone else. We just finished Schitt’s Creek. That show was so warm and loving. It accepted every difference between people. It was so nice to be able to come home and watch something like that. CM: Speaking of your husband, like so many other couples, you had to change your wedding plans last year. How’d you manage that? EKR: Tyler proposed at the end of 2019, and we always knew we wanted a short engagement. We wanted to get married in Gasparilla Island in Florida, where his parents live, but because of COVID there were so many different iterations of the wedding. There was the big, beautiful tent outdoors, all the way down to, “You can have four tables of eight.” And you’re like, “OK, eenie meenie miney moe.” It ended up being just our close family, but I’m actually grateful. We always were doing it to start our lives together, and there wasn’t a reason for the pandemic to change that. We weren’t doing it for the party. We were sad we didn’t get to share it with everyone, but I talked to everybody who came. I actually ate dinner at my wedding. I got to spend quality time with everyone. LAUREN LEVINE CORRIHER is a writer in Charlotte whose work has appeared in Southern Living, Parents, Condé Nast Traveler, Elemental, American Way, Axios Charlotte, and more. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram, where she’s @LatestByLauren. JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

For years, Charlotte has been one of the largest American cities that lacked a four-year medical school. The health care professionals who finally made it happen overcame a series of setbacks, false starts, and failures, and they plan to use their clean slate to create a new kind of community asset BY GREG LACOUR

CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

COURTESY, ATRIUM HEALTH

Atrium Health has chosen a 20-acre site next to Interstate 277 in midtown for Charlotte’s first four-year medical school, rendered here. The health care system expects to open the campus in 2024.

GOOD

HEALTH JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

As designed, the campus will include not just classrooms and administrative offices but apartments, shops, hotels, and green space to make it accessible to the community at large.

CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

Health—had ceased negotiations, mainly because they couldn’t resolve questions about who would control the combined systems’ spending. The two systems, UNC Health Care said in a release, “have determined that we cannot satisfy our mutual organizational goals through a proposed partnership and joint operating company.”

NTO THIS SUBDUED ATMOSPHERE, a little less than a year later, stepped Dr. Rasu Shrestha. The native of Nepal—and holder of both a medical doctorate in radiology and an MBA—had established himself as a leader in health care innovation and information technology in his nearly 12 years at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, which had expanded from 12 hospitals to 40 during his tenure. Atrium Health President and CEO Eugene Woods announced Shrestha’s hiring as executive vice president and chief strategy officer in December 2018. “As Atrium Health looks ahead to how we can reimagine a brighter and bolder future for care,” Woods said, “Dr. Shrestha will help us develop the strategy and innovation to bring health, hope, and healing to more people.” Shrestha started in February 2019. Woods and other members of the system’s leadership council quickly communicated that the “brighter and bolder future” included a four-year medical school campus in Charlotte—and that the most logical partner for such a venture was Wake Forest Baptist Health, which operated its own renowned med school a mere 90-minute drive away in Winston-Salem. “One of the first conversations that we had, Gene and myself and others in the CEO council, was, ‘All right,’ you know, ‘What’s next? Is there a “there” there in terms

COURTESY, ATRIUM HEALTH

HARLOTTE’S FIRST four-year medical school emerged from a high-profile failure. In August 2017, Carolinas HealthCare System, Charlotte’s largest employer, and UNC Health Care announced a merger that leaders of both organizations said would transform health care in North Carolina “by creating the most comprehensive network of primary, specialty, and on-demand care in the Southeast.” The announcement was banner news throughout the state, and in Charlotte, it raised the possibility that the city would finally land an institution that civic leaders had said for years it needed: a four-year medical school. In 2015, a Pittsburgh-based consulting firm hired by a group of Charlotte health care and business leaders concluded that, as the nation’s largest city without one, Charlotte needed a med school to meet population growth and compensate for doctor shortages through the region. The firm, Tripp Umbach, recommended a partnership between UNC Charlotte and the UNC Chapel Hill med school’s Charlotte location, a small campus for thirdand fourth-year students. But the UNC system decided a partnership with Carolinas HealthCare offered better opportunities for growth throughout the state, especially in rural areas. Between the hosannas, officials sounded a few notes of caution. The two systems still needed to work out some basic details, like how the joint operating company would function and what it would be called. “This is like a marriage,” UNC Health Care CEO Bill Roper told reporters. “What we’re describing to you today is, we just got engaged. The wedding is still several months away.” Neither party made it to the altar. By March 2018, UNC and Carolinas HealthCare—by then renamed Atrium

of the two systems coming together?’” Shrestha tells me in late April. He and the other council members examined data on Atrium’s capabilities in patient care and clinical studies and Wake Forest Baptist’s ability to conduct research and educate medical students, as well as the culture of both institutions. “It was pretty evident early on,” Shrestha says, “that ... we had to do this.” Atrium and Wake Forest Baptist announced their plan for a Charlotte med school campus in April 2019 and the formal merger of the two sysAtrium wants the med school to serve as a broad community asset—“the unique tems under the Atrium name element of what we’re trying to build in this post-pandemic era,” says Dr. Rasu in October 2020. (Wake Forest Shrestha, the system’s executive vice president and chief strategy officer. Baptist Health, an affiliate of Wake Forest University, is the academic health system that new medicines and treatments to patients in half the owns the med school in Winston-Salem and a major hospital, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center; it refers to time and advance economic equality in ways that we’ve itself as “Wake Forest Baptist” to avoid confusion with the not done before.” university.) Along with the med school, Woods said, “our vision is to build a Silicon Valley for health care innovation spanning from Winston-Salem to Charlotte.” This EW WOULD ASSUME that an economic developpast March, the partnership revealed the school’s planned ment asset in the packed and pricey city center location: a 20-acre site in midtown, next to Interstate 277 would concern itself much with economic equality. But the idea is built into the med school’s and with easy access to uptown and surrounding neighborhoods. It’s expected to break ground in early 2022 and conception. open in 2024, and its timing grants it a distinction no one From Pittsburgh—a city known nationally as a former could have planned for—the project, acknowledged as a industrial giant transformed into a hub for research and long-overdue addition to Charlotte and a fallback plan development and information technology—Shrestha from the collapsed Atrium-UNC partnership, is expected knew med schools and hospitals can enhance cities’ to be the first four-year medical school campus in the cachet. But they don’t benefit the broader population United States in the post-COVID era. without direct connections to the public and diverWoods, citing another Tripp Umbach estimate, said sity, both economic and ethnic, in the schools’ student bodies. Officials at both Atrium and Wake Forest Baptist last year that the med school would generate $5.2 bilknew about the infamous 2014 Chetty study that ranked lion and 43,000 jobs over the next two decades, which Charlotte 50th among the 50 largest U.S. cities in ecoled retired Bank of America Chairman and CEO Hugh McColl to refer to the project as “the most transformanomic mobility, and they aim to orient the med school tive initiative in the history of Charlotte.” Whether it is as much as they can toward the community. or not depends on time and how to calculate degrees of They’ve designed their efforts to meet financial and transformation, and who’s doing the calculating. But its physical goals. When the combined systems announced potential is immense—not just to generate economic the site selection in March, they also revealed a new fund growth in Charlotte and the region but to embrace new to help pay for poor students’ health sciences education throughout the Atrium system. The Bishop George ways to research disease, health care, and learning about E. Battle Jr. Scholarship Fund, named after a longtime both, on the heels of the most devastating public health community leader and former chairman of the Charlottecrisis in a century. “I’ve seen a lot of combinations in my career, but the Mecklenburg school board, will begin with $5 million in uniqueness of Atrium in its clinical depth and breadth, seed money and aim to match that amount from donaand then on the Wake side, the research and academic tions by the time the med school opens. acumen and the clinical prowess that really adds to the Plans for the physical complex, detailed in Atrium’s legacy Atrium already has—I think that is really, really rezoning petition to the city in March, reflect the same kind of idea. As designed, the campus will include not unique,” Shrestha says. “And it allows us to then bring

COURTESY, ATRIUM HEALTH

JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

“Health care is never going to be affordable if everybody’s sick.” —DR. JULIE ANN FREISCHLAG CEO, Wake Forest Baptist Health

The COVID lockdown allowed officials like Dr. Julie Ann Freischlag (second from left), CEO of Wake Forest Baptist Health and dean of its medical school, time to work with her Atrium counterparts on plans for the new school in Charlotte.

CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

TRIUM AND WAKE FOREST BAPTIST officials, and the Charlotte economic development leaders who can boast of a new addition to the city’s showroom, speak triumphantly, excitedly, about the med school plans. “It’ll be a major competitive advantage for us to be able to say that we’ve got this world-class health care research asset that’s here and that’s growing and sustaining our community,” the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance’s president and CEO, Janet LaBar, tells me in April. It’s a counterpoint to the dismay some of the same officials felt when the Atrium-UNC Health Care merger fell through, and when Charlotte took an even harder shot to its image six weeks before that. In January 2018, Amazon announced that it had selected 20 cities as finalists for its coveted East Coast headquarters. The list, picked from 238 applicants, included several growing Southern cities, including Atlanta, Austin, Nashville, and Raleigh. It did not include Charlotte. “When I tell you I am literally shocked we didn’t make a 20-city list, I can’t overstate that,” Tariq Bokhari, a Charlotte City Council member and owner of a financial technology firm, told The Charlotte Observer. But the primary reason was simple and well known: Charlotte lacked the research and development infrastructure, mainly in major research universities, that other urban areas could claim. (Amazon eventually selected Arlington, Virginia, as the winner.) Charlotte’s Amazon pitch, led by what was then called the Charlotte Regional Partnership, pushed a video that starred local spoken-word poet Boris “Bluz” Rogers and popularized the hashtag #CLTisPrime in an attempt to cast the city as a progressive player with a highly trained and eager workforce. Later that year, the regional partnership—which coordinated economic development efforts in the 16-county Charlotte region—merged with the Charlotte Chamber to form the Business Alliance, which unified city and regional economic development efforts. The new organization hired LaBar to lead it in March 2019, and she says the med school plans—“that last piece of the puzzle”—support the image Charlotte tried to sell to Amazon three-plus years ago.

COURTESY, ATRIUM HEALTH

just the school proper but as many as 1,000 apartments, 600 hotel rooms, shops, green space, a walking track, and places to eat and drink—the sort of mixed-use “village” concept in vogue among urban developers nationwide but not generally affixed to medical schools. “When we’re talking about this rich ecosystem that we’re trying to foster through the medical school, through the innovations that we’re trying to bring in place, the economic impact that we’re trying to create, the social impact that we’re trying to address—it is really the community’s medical school,” Shrestha says. “I think that’s the unique element of what we’re trying to build in this post-pandemic era.” Ideally, the overall benefits would extend far outside the city limits. Wake Forest Baptist officials signed on eagerly in part because they saw a chance to expand their system’s geographic reach, says Dr. Julie Ann Freischlag, dean of Wake Forest School of Medicine, CEO of Wake Forest Baptist, and, under the Atrium partnership, chief academic officer. The Wake Forest Baptist system, based in a city smaller than and northeast of Charlotte, tends to draw a more rural patient population from other parts of North Carolina, as well as Virginia, West Virginia, and Tennessee. Combining the systems and training more doctors in an urban environment to the south can help “marry two big groups of patients,” Freischlag says, and allow graduates in both cities to practice in urban and rural areas that desperately need doctors. Whichever population graduates choose to serve, they’ll emphasize the value of preventive care: a general program of healthy eating, exercise, regular medical checkups, vaccinations, and other ounce-of-prevention practices that help people stay healthier for longer. It’s a boon for everyone but a pronounced need for people who lack easy access to doctors. Both Wake Forest Baptist and Atrium see extensive education in preventive care as a lodestar for the combined systems and a key to hold down health care costs—another way medical training can reinforce economic equality, Freischlag says: “Health care is never going to be affordable if everybody’s sick.”

“When you have a base of research and discovery in your market, that can truly be something that will catalyze additional economic activity,” LaBar says. “What’s exciting about it for us as an alliance, as the voice of business and as an economic development organization, is that we have something new to say and share to the world. ... It’s similar to Charlotte (Douglas) International Airport. Like, this is how much of a driver this is going to be for our region.” Specific estimates of economic impact, like the $5.2 billion and 43,000 jobs that Woods cited in March, are notoriously speculative. But Atrium officials say Charlotte can build on a core of skilled workers it already has and which the med school can complement: “Health care is the second-largest talent cluster in the city, with 47,000 clinical workers,” Shrestha says, “and that’s not including the business side of health care.” The city has an additional 21,000 people who work in data sciences, he adds, which makes Charlotte “ripe for innovation and for the things that we’re doing right now in medical education.” LaBar says she’s confident that a med school will enhance Charlotte’s ability to attract even more jobs and corporate expansions as it competes with cities like Atlanta and, for that matter, Raleigh. She spent a decade working on economic development projects in Phoenix, including a new University of Arizona medical school, which held its first classes in 2007 and, she says, has opened development doors for that city. But how successfully the Charlotte med school can do the same depends on time and variables that can’t be calculated yet; for now, she says, a better comparison might not be Charlotte and competitor cities but Charlotte and itself a decade ago. Strong research and development hubs spin off not just jobs but unexpected opportunities for entrepreneurs to establish medical and data science startups, she says, which matches Woods’ “Silicon Valley” vision. “This is so much bigger than just intrastate or intraregional competition. Who knows what this is going to look like in five years?” LaBar says. “But this is going to be dramatically and remarkably different.”

HEN AGAIN, if ever there was a season for health care professionals to adjust on the fly, this is it. When the time of COVID began in March 2020, leaders at Atrium and Wake Forest Baptist had to scramble to meet the pandemic’s demands on public health but, oddly, discovered an advantage in planning for the Charlotte med school. It gave them time to hone things like curriculum and technological advances and envision how a post-pandemic med school might operate. The overall merger began to bear fruit immediately, too: The two systems exchanged vaccine doses, and Atrium sent Wake Forest Baptist testing kits it lacked. The partnership also allowed the key players to simply get to know each other better, albeit over Zoom. “We really didn’t have many places to go, right? We were sort of stuck at home,” Freischlag says. “We were able to

really work the last six months ... talking about what we can do, looking at where our strengths are. How do we recruit new talent? How do we partner? It’s given us a window to spend much more time with each other than we would have. “So we actually are helping each other in many different ways in how to manage this crisis—and it’s been very helpful to sort of have a partner in crime, because it was lonely getting through this pandemic.” As a large health care consortium, Atrium could offer Wake Forest Baptist advice on mass vaccinations and other large-scale pandemic efforts, while Wake Forest Baptist could quickly share its spear’s-tip research. Wake Forest Baptist has conducted a number of COVID clinical trials, including a study of the effects of the Moderna vaccine on high-risk people, like the elderly, racial minorities, and essential workers. Some of the lessons from the collaboration will work their way into med school curricula and can form the basis for future public health programs. “When it really hit in December, January, we all banded together against the virus,” Freischlag says, “and it felt so much better than being alone the summer before.” The pandemic might also serve as a kind of breakwater that separates medical education as practiced before and after. Atrium is exploring how it might use advanced technology to save time, money, and aggravation for faculty and students—by, for example, perfecting video classes for students simultaneously in Winston-Salem and Charlotte, or by using virtual and augmented reality programs to replace cadavers and better illustrate the relationships among blood vessels, muscles, and bones to anatomy students. Medical education has become “stagnant,” says Shrestha, 47, since his med school days in the 1990s. “Today, there’s very little AI built into the curriculum of medical school,” he says. “One of the things that we intend to do here is really make sure that is taught alongside the specifics of how we approach diseases. … Eventually, they’re going to get out to the real world, where technology is in the fabric of how we practice care.” The central idea is to use the “fresh start” aspects of the Charlotte medical school—first in Charlotte, first post-COVID—as a springboard to see how far doctors, administrators, and educators can push the edge of what such a school can achieve. Can it train medical students in new and better ways in a country hungry for medical innovation? Can it educate students to better consider not just the medical but the economic and ethical dimensions of health care? Can a school not just happen to improve quality of life for a whole city, or whole region, but adopt that as a goal? The systems’ leaders say they’re committed to trying. The project wouldn’t have happened without a willingness to span all kinds of distances. “You have all these people with these experiences, you bring them together,” Freischlag says, “and you come up with something more amazing than we could by ourselves.” GREG LACOUR is the senior editor of this magazine.

JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

TOP DOCTORS 2021 The annual list you can’t live without

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Each year, we survey licensed physicians throughout the greater Charlotte area. This year, you’ll find a list that covers 60 specialties across the medical field. Below, you’ll find full details of how we came up with this year’s list of winners, from our contracted research firm, Castle Connolly. Castle Connolly Top Doctors is a healthcare research company and the official source for Top Doctors for the past 25 years. Castle Connolly's established nomination survey, research, screening and selection process, under the direction of an MD, involves many hundreds of thousands of physicians as well as academic medical centers, specialty hospitals and regional and community hospitals all across the nation. The online nominations process — located at www.castleconnolly.com/ nominations — is open to all licensed physicians in America who are able to nominate physicians in any medical specialty and in any part of the country, as well as indicate whether the nominated physicians is, in their opinion, among the best in their region in their medical specialty or among the best in the nation in their medical specialty. Once nominated, Castle Connolly's physician-led team of researchers follow a rigorous screening process to select top doctors on both the national and regional levels. Careful screening of doctors' educational and professional experience is essential before final selection is made among those physicians most highly regarded by their peers. The result: We identify the top doctors in America and provide you, the consumer, with detailed information about their education, training and special expertise in our paperback guides, national and regional magazine “Top Doctors” features and online directories. Doctors do not and cannot pay to be selected and profiled as Castle Connolly Top Doctors. Physicians selected for inclusion in this magazine’s “Top Doctors” feature also appear online at castleconnolly.com, or in conjunction with other Castle Connolly Top Doctors databases online on other sites and/or in print. Castle Connolly was acquired by Everyday Health Group (EHG), one of the world’s most prominent digital healthcare companies, in late 2018. EHG, a recognized leader in patient and provider education, attracts an engaged audience of over 53 million health consumers and over 780,000 U.S. practicing physicians and clinicians to its premier health and wellness websites. EHG combines social listening data and analytics expertise to deliver highly personalized healthcare consumer content and effective patient engagement solutions. EHG’s vision is to drive better clinical and health outcomes through decision-making informed by highly relevant data and analytics. Healthcare professionals and consumers are empowered with trusted content and services through the Everyday Health Group’s flagship brands including Everyday Health®, What to Expect®, MedPage Today®, Health eCareers®, PRIME® Education and our exclusive partnership with MayoClinic. org® and The Mayo Clinic Diet.® Everyday Health Group is a division of J2 Global Inc. (NASDAQ: JCOM), and is headquartered in New York City.

JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

ADDICTION PSYCHIATRY

STEPHEN WYATT, DO Atrium Health Addiction ServicesBallantyne 7825 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy., Ste. 110 (704) 446-0391

ALLERGY & IMMUNOLOGY

JENNIFER CAICEDO, MD Carolina Asthma & Allergy Center 11840 Southmore Dr., Ste. 128 (704) 372-7900 S. NICOLE CHADHA, MD Carolina Asthma & Allergy Center 14135 Ballantyne Corporate Pl., Ste. 225 (704) 372-7900 GLENN ERRINGTON, MD Carolina Asthma & Allergy Center 2600 E. 7th St., Ste. A (704) 372-7900 ALEKH GUPTA, MD Atrium Health Allergy, Asthma & Immunology 4525 Cameron Valley Pkwy. (704) 468-8898 RICHARD HERRING, MD Carolina Asthma & Allergy Center 2600 E. 7th St., Ste. 100 (704) 372-7900 CAROLINE HOBBS, MD Atrium Health Allergy, Asthma & Immunology 10650 Park Road Extension (704) 468-8875 SUSAN HUNGNESS, MD Carolina Asthma & Allergy Center 2600 E. 7th St. (704) 372-7900 DOUGLAS JOHNSTON, DO Carolina Asthma & Allergy Center 11840 Southmore Dr., Ste. 200 (704) 372-7900 EMILY LANGLEY, MD Carolina Asthma & Allergy Center 19475 Old Jetton Rd., Ste. 100, Cornelius (704) 372-7900 MEGHAN LEMKE, MD Carolina Asthma & Allergy Center 311 Williamson Rd., Ste. 100, Mooresville (704) 372-7900

STEVEN MCELDOWNEY, MD Allergy & Asthma Care of Blakeney 8840 Blakeney Professional Dr., Ste. 201 (704) 752-3773

THOMAS CHRISTOPHER, MD Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute 100 Medical Park Dr., Ste. 210, Concord (704) 403-6100

J. GRAY NORRIS, MD Carolina Asthma & Allergy Center 2600 E. 7th St. (704) 372-7900

ADRIAN DUSA, MD Novant Belk Heart & Vascular 125 Queens Rd. (704) 343-9800

MAEVE O’CONNOR, MD Allergy Asthma & Immunology Relief of Charlotte 1523 Elizabeth Ave., Ste. 200 (704) 910-1402

JOHN HOLSHOUSER, MD Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute 1001 Blythe Blvd., Ste. 300 (704) 373-0212

ROOPEN PATEL, MD Carolina Asthma & Allergy Center 14135 Ballantyne Corporate Pl., Ste. 225 (704) 372-7900 VANDANA PATEL, MD Carolina Asthma & Allergy Center 620 Summit Crossing Pl., Ste. 202, Gastonia (704) 372-7900 BETH SEILER, MD Carolina Asthma & Allergy Center 2600 E. 7th St., Ste. A (704) 372-7900

BRIAN POWELL, MD Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute 1001 Blythe Blvd., Ste. 300 (704) 373-0212 SHERRY SAXONHOUSE, MD Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute 1001 Blythe Blvd., Ste. 300 (704) 373-0212 OMER SHEDD, MD CaroMont Heart 2555 Court Dr., Ste. 300, Gastonia (704) 834-3278

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

SANJEEV GULATI, MD Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute 1025 Morehead Medical Dr. (704) 355-8816 ROBERT HABER, MD Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute 1001 Blythe Blvd., Ste. 300 (704) 373-0212 KUSHAL HANDA, MD Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute 1550 Faulk St., Ste. 3100, Monroe (704) 993-1000 HARRY HICKLIN, MD Palmetto Cardiology of York County 430 S. Herlong Ave., Ste. 104 Rock Hill (803) 324-4900 ASHLEIGH MAIERS, MD Sanger Heart & Vascular InstitutePineville 10650 Park Rd., Ste. 220 (704) 667-3840 EDWARD MCMILLAN, MD Novant Health Belk Heart & Vascular Institute 125 Queens Rd. (704) 343-9800

EKTA SHAH, MD Atrium Health Allergy, Asthma & Immunology 10650 Park Road Extension (704) 468-8875

JOHN ALEXANDER, MD Novant Health Belk Heart & Vascular Institute 125 Queens Rd. (704) 343-9800

ROHIT MEHTA, MD Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute 1237 Harding Pl., Ste. 3100 (704) 373-0212

RICHARD SILTON, MD Carolina Asthma & Allergy Center 14135 Ballantyne Corporate Pl., Ste. 255 (704) 372-7900

SANDY CHARLES, MD Novant Health Belk Heart & Vascular Institute 125 Queens Rd. (704) 343-9800

FELIPE NAVARRO, MD Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute 100 Medical Park Dr., Ste. 210, Concord (704) 403-6142

CARDIAC ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY

DAVID FRAMM, MD Tryon Medical Partners 6060 Piedmont Row Dr. S (704) 489-3094

WILLIAM NTIM, MD Novant Health Heart & Vascular Institute 125 Queens Rd. (704) 343-9800

JOHN BAILEY, MD Novant Health Heart & Vascular Institute 1718 E. 4th St., Ste. 607 (704) 343-9800 WILLIAM BOCK, MD Sanger Heart & Vascular InstitutePineville 10650 Park Rd., Ste. 220 (704) 667-3840

CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

THEODORE FRANK, MD Atrium Health Heart Failure Clinic 1025 Morehead Medical Dr. (704) 355-8816 RAY GEORGESON, MD Piedmont Healthcare Associates 633 Brookdale Dr., Ste. 100, Statesville (704) 873-7850

JOHN PASQUINI, MD Novant Health Belk Heart & Vascular Institute 125 Queens Rd. (704) 343-9800 MICHAEL RINALDI, MD Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute 1001 Blythe Blvd., Ste. 300 (704) 373-0212

GEOFFREY ROSE, MD Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute 1001 Blythe Blvd., Ste. 300 (704) 373-0212

MEMORABLE MOMENT

CHERYL RUSSO, MD Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute 1237 Harding Pl., Ste. 3100 (704) 373-0212 PATRICK RUSSO, MD CaroMont Heart 2555 Court Dr., Ste. 300, Gastonia (704) 834-3278 KEVIN SHARKEY, MD Novant Health Belk Heart & Vascular Institute 125 Queens Rd. (704) 343-9800 PAUL SLOTA, MD Carolina Heart Specialists 1609 Constitution Blvd., Rock Hill (803) 366-8300 JOHN SYMANSKI, MD Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute 1001 Blythe Blvd., Ste. 300 (704) 373-0212 MARK THOMPSON, MD CaroMont Health 2555 Court Dr., Ste. 200, Gastonia (704) 834-3278 JEROME WILLIAMS, MD Novant Health Belk Heart & Vascular Institute 125 Queens Rd. (704) 343-9800

CHILD & ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY

BRADLEY REDDICK, MD Eastover Psychological & Psychiatric Group 3303 Latrobe Dr. (704) 362-2663

CHILD NEUROLOGY

COURTESY

DANIEL BONTHIUS, MD/PHD Carolinas Pediatric Neurology Care 2608 E. 7th St. (704) 403-2660 NICOLE BROCKWAY, MD Carolinas Pediatric Neurology Care 100 Medical Park Dr., Concord (704) 403-2660

ORTHOCAROLINA

JONATHAN C. RIBOH, MD.

Pediatric, Adolescent and Adult Sports Medicine

Prior to joining OrthoCarolina, I was a sports medicine surgeon at Duke University. I had the privilege of taking care of many exceptional student athletes there, but one that stands out is Daniel Jones. Daniel was the starting quarterback at Duke and sustained a clavicle fracture early in his senior season. He was fighting for a first round draft spot that year, so we had to get him back fast. I fixed his clavicle the very next morning and Daniel took it from there. Three weeks later he was back on the field against Virginia Tech - a big leap of faith on our end to let him go back so fast. Watching him beat the odds and return to football so quickly was incredibly rewarding. When Daniel went #6 in the NFL draft later that season, he reached out to thank me for helping him achieve his goals. To me, that’s the beauty of sports medicine. It’s getting to watch your patients continually improve and succeed after a setback and surgery. To this day, I love watching Daniel (and all my patients) do what they love!

CYNTHIA PUDUKADAN, MD Novant Health Pediatric Neurology-Randolph 1900 Randolph Rd. (704) 384-1390 SHANA WALLACE, MD Novant Health Pediatric Neurology-Randolph 1900 Randolph Rd. (704) 384-1390

CLINICAL GENETICS

LAURIE DEMMER, MD Levine Children’s Specialty Center 1001 Blythe Blvd., Ste. 200 (704) 381-6810

COLON & RECTAL SURGERY

BRADLEY DAVIS, MD Carolinas Medical Center 1025 Morehead Medical Dr. (704) 355-1813

JENNIFER HOLL, MD Surgical Specialists of Charlotte 1450 Matthews Township Pkwy., Ste. 250, Matthews (704) 841-1444

BRIAN JERBY, MD Legacy Health 3049 Senna Dr., Matthews (980) 339-5155

DERMATOLOGY

COLEMAN ALTMAN, DO Charlotte Dermatology 2630 E. 7th St., Ste. 200 (704) 364-6110

KEVIN KASTNER, MD Atrium Health Gastroenterology and Hepatology 10650 Park Rd., Ste. 480 (704) 355-1813

APRIL BOSWELL, MD Tryon Medical Partners 16817 Marvin Rd. (704) 495-6036

JOHN MORRISON, MD Novant Health Charlotte Colon & Rectal Surgery 1718 E. 4th St., Ste. 307 (704) 333-1259

CHARLES BROWN, MD Dilworth Dermatology & Laser 719 East Blvd. (704) 376-9849

DOUGLAS ROSEN, MD Novant Health Charlotte Colon & Rectal Surgery-Matthews 1450 Matthews Township Pkwy., Ste. 355, Matthews (704) 384-8615

TARA BYER-PARSONS, MD Atrium Health Dermatology 4525 Cameron Valley Pkwy. (980) 442-3300

ROBERT STEVENS, MD Novant Health Charlotte Colon & Rectal Surgery 1718 E. 4th St., Ste. 307 (704) 333-1259

ALYSSA DANIEL, MD Novant Health Dermatology 6324 Fairview Rd., Ste. 200 (980) 302-9700 MARC DARST, MD Darst Dermatology 11301 Golf Links Dr. N, Ste. 203 (704) 321-3376 JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

MEREDITH DASHER, MD Tryon Medical Partners 6060 Piedmont Row Dr. S (704) 489-3094

PATRICIA RODDEY, MD Charlotte Medical Clinic 4525 Cameron Valley Pkwy. (704) 355-5100

IRENE EDWARDS, MD Mid-Charlotte Dermatology & Research 6406 Carmel Rd., Ste. 309 (704) 367-9777

STEPHEN SCHEIBNER, MD Piedmont HealthCare 152 Sherlock Dr., Statesville (704) 838-8210

HAZEM EL GAMAL, MD Charlotte Dermatology 2630 E. 7th St., Ste. 200 (704) 364-6110 ELIZABETH GRATTAN, MD Dermatology Care of Charlotte 15825 Ballantyne Medical Pl., Ste. 100 (704) 341-0090 SASHA HABERLE, MD Metrolina Dermatology and Skin Surgery Specialists 10502 Park Rd., Ste. 100 (980) 299-3926 ROBERTA HAWK, MD Piedmont Plastic Surgery & Dermatology 934 Cox Rd., Gastonia (704) 898-8014 MARTIE JEWELL, MD Tryon Medical Partners 16817 Marvin Rd. (704) 495-6036 PATRICK MCELGUNN, MD Piedmont Plastic Surgery & Dermatology 5815 Blakeney Park Dr., Ste.100 (704) 542-2220 UMA O’BRIEN, MD Tryon Medical Partners 6060 Piedmont Row Dr. S (704) 489-3094

DAVID SCHULMAN, MD South Charlotte Dermatology 10370 Park Rd., Ste. 201 (704) 542-3003 KERRY SHAFRAN, MD Riva Dermatology 17039 Kenton Dr., Ste. 100, Cornelius (704) 896-8837 GARY SLAUGHTER, MD Charlotte Dermatology 2630 E. 7th St., Ste. 200 (704) 364-6110 CHRISTOPHER SNYDER, MD Piedmont Plastic Surgery & Dermatology 309 S. Sharon Amity Rd., Ste. 200 (704) 344-8846 JOEL SUGARMAN, MD Lake Norman Dermatology 140 Leaning Oak Dr., Mooresville (704) 658-9730 STUART WERNIKOFF, MD Carolina Piedmont Dermatology 2015 Randolph Rd., Ste. 210 (704) 333-8811 STEVEN WOLFE, MD Wolfe Dermatology 114 Gateway Blvd., Ste. D, Mooresville (704) 663-2085

DEVELOPMENTALBEHAVIORAL PEDIATRICS

DANIEL PARSONS, MD Atrium Health DermatologySouthPark 4525 Cameron Valley Pkwy., Ste. 2100 (704) 468-8874

JAMES DURANT, MD Novant Health Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics-Eastover 2711 Randolph Rd., Ste. 100 (704) 384-0567

JOSEPH ROCHE, MD Dermatology Group of the Carolinas 335 Penny Ln., Concord (704) 784-5901

YASMIN SENTURIAS, MD Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics of the Carolinas 2608 E. 7th St. (704) 403-2626

CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGY

GREGORY JOSEPH, MD Mecklenburg Radiology Associates 3623 Latrobe Dr., Ste. 216 (704) 384-4057

ENDOCRINOLOGY, DIABETES & METABOLISM

FRANCISCO BAUTISTA VITIELLO, MD Tryon Medical Partners 6060 Piedmont Row Dr. S (704) 489-3094

D. ALLEN BRANTLEY, MD Tryon Medical Partners 6060 Piedmont Row Dr. S (704) 489-3094 SISI HESTER-CLARKE, MD Tryon Medical Partners 9615 Kincey Ave., Ste. 210, Huntersville (704) 900-6225 JAMES HOLT, MD NorthEast Endocrinology 1085 NorthEast Gateway Ct., Ste. 330, Concord (704) 403-8320 SONA KASHYAP, MD Atrium Health EndocrinologyPineville 10650 Park Road Extension (704) 468-8877 UHA REDDY, MD Tryon Medical Partners 6060 Piedmont Row Dr. S (704) 489-3094 GARY ROLBAND, MD Tryon Medical Partners 6060 Piedmont Row Dr. S (704) 489-3094 ADAM SPITZ, MD Novant Health Endocrinology Midtown 1918 Randolph Rd., Ste. 220 (704) 316-1125 RAYMOND STADIEM, MD Atrium Health EndocrinologySouthPark 4525 Cameron Valley Pkwy., Ste. 4100 (704) 468-8876

ELLEN STORY, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-3320 CHARLES UPCHURCH, MD Tryon Medical Partners 6060 Piedmont Row Dr. S (704) 489-3094

FAMILY MEDICINE

PERRY BARTELT, MD Piedmont Healthcare 276 Old Mocksville Rd., Ste. 400, Statesville (704) 878-6592 MARC DY, MD Atrium Health Edison Square Family Medicine 10030 Edison Square Dr., Ste. 100, Concord (704) 403-7830 MARY GREEN KNOX, MD Novant Health SouthPark Family Physicians 6324 Fairview Rd., Ste. 201 (704) 384-0588 LAUREN HULL, MD Atrium Health Carmel Family Physicians 10000 Park Cedar Dr. (704) 667-3600 CARLA JONES, MD Atrium Health Cabarrus Family Medicine 270 Copperfield Blvd., Ste. 102, Concord (704) 786-6521 WILLIAM KATIBAH, MD Direct Primary Care of the Carolinas 1913 J. N. Pease Pl., Ste. 201 (704) 547-9500 BARBARA MEYER, MD Atrium Health Primary Care One Health Family Medicine-Lake Norman 9611 Sherrill Estates Rd., Ste. B, Huntersville (704) 801-7400 JOSEPH MUELLER, MD Novant Health Cotswold Medical Clinic 200 Greenwich Rd. (704) 384-8680

JOSEPH PINCKNEY, MD Atrium Health Riverbend Family Practice - Mountain Island Lake 9908 Couloak Dr., Ste. 202 (704) 801-3050

MEMORABLE MOMENT

GRETCHEN REIS, MD Bioidentical Hormones Replacement 112 South Tryon St., Ste. 750 (704) 220-1770 DAVID RINEHART, MD South Point Family Practice 1220 Spruce St., Belmont (704) 825-5333 PATRICIA WHITE, MD Davidson Family Medicine 104 Knox Ct., Ste. 100, Davidson (704) 892-5454 CRAIG WHITE, MD Davidson Family Medicine 104 Knox Ct., Ste. 100, Davidson (704) 892-5454

GASTROENTEROLOGY

AMIT ARAVAPALLI, MD Tryon Medical Partners 6060 Piedmont Row Dr. S (704) 489-3094

ASHLEY TOCI, MD, FACR, CCR

Rheumatology

One of the most memorable patient experiences I have had in my career is treating a young mother with new-onset rheumatoid arthritis. I vividly remember her sitting in my office in tears. She described the difficulty she was having with simple activities such as holding her infant daughter, picking her up out of the crib, and snapping the buttons on her clothes. She felt helpless as a mother and was devastated by the inability to care for her child. As a mother, I could empathize with her and fully appreciate how much her arthritis negatively impacted her life. Thankfully she responded quickly to treatment and was able to regain full function of her joints. Even during some of the most vulnerable times of their lives, my patients teach me gratitude and humility every day. Their trust continually inspires me as their physician.

OSCAR BRANN, MD Tryon Medical Partners 16817 Marvin Rd. (704) 495-6036

ATUL KHANNA, MD Charlotte Gastroenterology & Hepatology 2015 Randolph Rd., Ste. 208 (704) 377-0246

STEPHEN DEAL, MD Carolina Digestive Health Associates 300 Billingsley Rd., Ste. 200 (704) 372-7974

SANJIB MOHANTY, MD Charlotte Gastroenterology & Hepatology 2015 Randolph Rd., Ste. 208 (704) 377-0246

LARRY PENNINGTON, MD Digestive Disease Associates 170 Amendment Ave., Rock Hill (803) 324-7607

ANDREW DELEMOS, MD Atrium Transplant and Liver Center 1025 Morehead Medical Dr. (704) 355-6649

TARUN NARANG, MD Carolina Digestive Health Associates 300 Billingsley Rd., Ste. 200 (704) 324-8414

SIMON PRENDIVILLE, MD Charlotte Gastroenterology & Hepatology 2015 Randolph Rd., Ste. 208 (704) 377-0246

AUSTIN OSEMEKA, MD Carolina Digestive Diseases Center 2682 Court Dr., Ste. A, Gastonia (704) 823-8885

REBECCA RAWL, MD Charlotte Gastroenterology & Hepatology 2015 Randolph Rd., Ste. 208 (704) 377-0246

JOHN HANSON, MD CHS Digestive Health 1025 Morehead Medical Dr. (704) 355-4593 KENT HOLTZMULLER, MD Tryon Medical Partners 6060 Piedmont Row Dr. S (704) 489-3410

COURTESY

ARTHRITIS AND OSTEOPOROSIS CONSULTANTS OF THE CAROLINAS

THOMAS PACICCO, MD Atrium Gastroenterology & Hepatology 1001 Blythe Blvd., Medical Center Plaza, Ste. 403 (704) 512-6161

VIRAL PATEL, MD Charlotte Gastroenterology & Hepatology 1340 Matthews Township Pkwy., Ste. 301, Matthews (704) 377-0246

ROBERT REINDOLLAR, MD Atrium Health Gastroenterology and Hepatology 16455 Statesville Rd., Ste. 360, Huntersville (704) 512-6161

J. GARDINER RODDEY, MD Charlotte Gastroenterology & Hepatology 2015 Randolph Rd., Ste. 208 (704) 377-0246 MARK RUSSO, MD Atrium Transplant and Liver Center 1025 Morehead Medical Dr. (704) 355-6649 RICHARD SIGMON, MD Atrium Gastroenterology & Hepatology 1001 Blythe Blvd., Medical Center Plaza, Ste. 403 (704) 512-6161 DAVID SMITH, MD Tryon Medical Partners 6060 Piedmont Row Dr. S (704) 489-3410 DEVI THANGAVELU, MD Novant Health 115 Commerce Pointe Blvd., Mooresville (704) 377-4009

JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

JASON WILSON, MD Charlotte Gastroenterology & Hepatology 2015 Randolph Rd., Ste. 208 (704) 377-0246

KELLIE SCHNEIDER, MD Novant Health Cancer InstituteElizabeth 125 Queens Rd. (980) 302-6500

STEVEN ZACKS, MD Atrium Health 10502 Park Rd., Ste. 110 (704) 667-1559

DAVID TAIT, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-2000

JEFFREY ZAIDMAN, MD Charlotte Gastroenterology & Hepatology 1340 Matthews Township Pkwy., Ste. 301, Matthews (704) 377-0246

GERIATRIC MEDICINE

DEANNA MANGIERI, DO Carolinas Healthcare System Senior Care 101 East W.T. Harris Blvd., Ste. 1110 (704) 863-9850 JENNIFER WOODWARD, MD Carolinas Healthcare System Senior Care 101 East W.T. Harris Blvd., Ste. 1110 (704) 863-9850

GYNECOLOGIC ONCOLOGY

JUBILEE BROWN, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-2000 ERIN CRANE, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-2000

JANELLE FAUCI, MD Novant Health Cancer InstituteElizabeth 125 Queens Rd. (980) 302-6500

HAND SURGERY

ROBERT CHADDERDON, MD OrthoCarolina - Hand Center 1915 Randolph Rd. (704) 323-2426 R. GLENN GASTON, MD OrthoCarolina - Hand Center 1915 Randolph Rd. (704) 323-2426 JOHN GAUL, MD OrthoCarolina - Hand Center 1915 Randolph Rd. (704) 323-2426 ERIKA LUMSDEN, MD OrthoCarolina - Hand Center 1915 Randolph Rd. (704) 323-2426 ALAN WARD, MD OrthoCarolina 1915 Randolph Rd. (704) 323-2426

HEMATOLOGY

EDWARD COPELAN, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-4363 REED FRIEND, MD Levine Cancer Institute 4525 Cameron Valley Pkwy., Ste. 3500 (980) 442-0400

JOHN MCDONALD, MD Novant Health Cancer InstituteElizabeth 125 Queens Rd. (980) 302-6500

JONATHAN GERBER, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-2000

ROBERT NAUMANN, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-2200

NILANJAN GHOSH, MD/PHD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-2000

CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

MICHAEL GRUNWALD, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-4363

TUE NGO, MD ID Consultants 4539 Hedgemore Dr., Ste. 100 (704) 331-9669

MARY ANN KNOVICH, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-4363

CHRISTOPHER POLK, MD ID Consultants 4539 Hedgemore Dr., Ste. 100 (704) 331-9669

DAVID MILLER, MD Novant Health Cancer Institute 125 Queens Rd. (980) 302-6600

DAVID WEINRIB, MD CMC-Infectious Disease Myers Park 1350 South Kings Dr., Fl. 3 (704) 446-4490

SAAD USMANI, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-2000 PETER VOORHEES, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-2000

HOSPICE & PALLIATIVE MEDICINE

KIMBERLY CASE, MD Novant Health Cancer InstitutePalliative Care 125 Queens Rd. (980) 302-6440 BETH SUSI, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr., Bldg. 2, Ste. 70100 (980) 442-2500

INFECTIOUS DISEASE

ROBERT ARYEETEY, MD Center for Infectious Diseases 276 Old Mocksville Rd., Ste. 1100, Statesville (704) 878-2523 JOSEPH LANG, MD ID Consultants 4539 Hedgemore Dr., Ste. 100 (704) 331-9669 MICHAEL LEONARD, MD ID Consultants 4539 Hedgemore Dr., Ste. 100 (704) 331-9669 LEWIS MCCURDY, MD ID Consultants 4539 Hedgemore Dr., Ste. 100 (704) 331-9669

INTERNAL MEDICINE

JIMMIE ADCOCK, MD First Charlotte Physicians EpiCentre 210 E. Trade St., Ste. D-230 (704) 384-7085 ANNE BARNARD, MD Tryon Medical Partners 201 S. College St., 12th Fl. (704) 489-3010 ROBERT BOWEN, MD Tryon Medical Partners 6060 Piedmont Row Dr. S (704) 489-3094 IRIS CHENG, MD Atrium Health Myers Park 1350 S. Kings Dr., Fl. 3 (704) 446-1242 MARISA DEATON, MD H3 Healthcare 1518 E. 3rd St., Ste. 150 (704) 806-0038 VIBHU DHINGRA, MD Atrium Health Charlotte Medical Clinic - SouthPark 4525 Cameron Valley Pkwy., Ste. 3100 (704) 355-5100 CLARENCE ELLIS, MD Metrolina Internal Medicine 2300 Randolph Rd., Ste. A (704) 372-9393 CHARLES FERREE, MD Tryon Medical Partners 10344 Park Rd., Ste. 100, Pineville (704) 495-6025

MICHAEL FRIEDLAND, MD Charlotte Medical Clinic 4525 Cameron Valley Pkwy., Ste. 3100 (704) 355-5100

MEMORABLE MOMENT

JANE HARRELL, MD H3 Healthcare 1518 E. 3rd St., Ste. 150 (704) 806-0038 PETER JUSTIS, MD Atrium Health Charlotte Medical Clinic - SouthPark 4525 Cameron Valley Pkwy., Ste. 3100 (704) 355-5100 TINA KENNELLY, MD Tryon Medical Partners 6060 Piedmont Row Dr. S (704) 489-3094 NICOLE KNIGHT, MD H3 Healthcare 1518 E. 3rd St., Ste. 150 (704) 806-0038 ERIC LANDIS, MD Tryon Medical Partners 10344 Park Rd., Ste. 100, Pineville (704) 495-6025

DR. JOSEPH H. KRUG, JR.

Ophthalmologist

A particularly memorable moment in my career was with a patient of mine who had suddenly, and quite rapidly, lost his vision in both eyes. My patient, a loving and devoted grandfather, was emotionally distraught at the prospect of never seeing his grandchildren again. He lost his vision due to under-treated proliferative diabetic retinopathy with severe neovascular glaucoma. To treat these conditions, we used a combination of emergency retina injections, emergency glaucoma valve placement and retinal laser. Thankfully, the patient’s retinal disease and glaucoma are under control and he is no longer legally blind. With improved visual acuity, he can now enjoy watching his grandchildren grow up! “I have two grandbabies with the prettiest blue eyes you’ve ever seen,” says Dr. Krug’s patient from his home in Gastonia. “It means the world to me just to be able to look into those beautiful eyes. I have Dr. Krug to thank for that.”

MELANIE MCMINN, MD Iora Primary Care 8332 Pineville Matthews Rd., Ste. 205 (704) 398-3952

PAUL CAMPBELL, MD Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute 100 Medical Park Dr., Ste. 210, Concord (704) 403-6100

NIKKI KOKLANARIS, MD Atrium Health CMC Women’s Institute 1025 Morehead Medical Dr. (704) 355-3149

ANITA MISRA, MD Piedmont HealthCare 533 Brookdale Dr., Statesville (704) 838-8249

ROBERT IWAOKA, MD Novant Health Belk Heart & Vascular Institute 125 Queens Rd. (704) 343-9800

ALYSSA MILLS, MD Novant Health Maternal-Fetal Medicine 1718 E. 4th St., Ste. 404 (704) 384-5701

PERRY ROY, MD Carolina Attention Specialists 309 S. Sharon Amity Ave., Ste. 204 (704) 319-0215 JOSHUA SHOEMAKE, MD H3 Healthcare 1518 E. 3rd St., Ste. 150 (704) 806-0038

INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY

TALAL BAKI, MD Carolina Cardiology Associates 196 Cardiology Dr., Rock Hill (803) 324-5135 COURTESY

HORIZON EYE CARE

MATERNAL & FETAL MEDICINE

JOHN ALLBERT, MD Novant Health Maternal-Fetal Medicine 1718 E. 4th St., Ste. 404 (704) 384-5701 KELECIA BROWN, MD Atrium Health CMC Women’s Institute-Cabarrus 200 Medical Park Dr., Ste. 250, Concord (704) 403-4189

REBECCA POLLACK, MD Atrium Health CMC Women’s Institute 1025 Morehead Medical Dr. (704) 355-3149 COURTNEY STEPHENSON, DO PMC Maternal-Fetal Medicine 515 River Crossing Dr., Ste. 180, Fort Mill (803) 548-1038 AMELIA SUTTON, MD Novant Health Maternal-Fetal Medicine 1718 E. 4th St., Ste. 404 (704) 384-5701

LORENE TEMMING, MD CMC Women’s Institute 1025 Morehead Medical Dr. (704) 355-3149

MEDICAL ONCOLOGY

ASIM AMIN, MD/PHD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 422-5310 EARLE BURGESS, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-0410 DANIEL CARRIZOSA, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-3300 SEUNGJEAN CHAI, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-2000 JUSTIN FAVARO, MD/PHD Oncology Specialists of Charlotte 2630 E. 7th St., Ste. 210 (704) 342-1900 JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

JULIE FISHER, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-2000

BRIAN ERB, MD Nephrology Associates 1436 Riverchase Blvd., Rock Hill (803) 329-2636

DANIEL HAGGSTROM, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-2000

EDWARD FISHER, MD Metrolina Nephrology Associates 7903 Providence Rd., Ste. 110 (704) 248-5101

LANE HELLNER, MD Levine Cancer Institute-Pineville 10650 Park Rd., Ste. 2100 (980) 442-0410

JOHN GERIG, MD Metrolina Nephrology Associates 433 Copperfield Blvd. NE, Concord (704) 786-7770

JIMMY HWANG, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-6410

TODD GRIFFITH, MD Metrolina Nephrology Associates 2711 Randolph Rd., Ste. 400 (704) 348-2992

RICHARD KRUMDIECK, MD Lake Norman Oncology 170 Medical Park Rd., Ste. 101, Mooresville (704) 799-3946

NANCY GRITTER, MD Metrolina Nephrology Associates 2711 Randolph Rd., Bldg. 400 (704) 348-2992

MICHAEL LIVINGSTON, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-2000 KATHRYN MILEHAM, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-3300 NASFAT SHEHADEH, MD Oncology Specialists of Charlotte 2630 E. 7th St., Ste. 210 (704) 342-1900 ASHLEY SUMRALL, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-5300 ANTOINETTE TAN, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-2000

NEPHROLOGY

RAMESH BHOOTHAPURI, MD Nephrology Associates 1436 Riverchase Blvd., Rock Hill (803) 329-2636 KATHLEEN, DOMAN, MD Nephrology & Hypertension Consultants 8220 University Executive Park Dr., Ste. 125 (704) 503-4400

GREGORY MERTEN, MD Metrolina Nephrology Associates 7903 Providence Rd., Ste. 110 (704) 248-5101

VINAY DESHMUKH, MD Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates 225 Baldwin Ave. (704) 376-1605 E. HUNTER DYER, MD Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates 225 Baldwin Ave. (704) 376-1605 MARTIN HENEGAR, MD Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates 225 Baldwin Ave. (704) 376-1605 SARAH JERNIGAN, MD Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates 225 Baldwin Ave. (704) 376-1605 ERIN KIEHNA, MD Novant Health Brain & Spine Surgery 1900 Randolph Rd. (704) 316-3070

DANIEL TIERNEY, MD/PHD Metrolina Nephrology Associates 7903 Providence Rd., Ste. 110 (704) 248-5101

PAUL KIM, MD Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates 225 Baldwin Ave. (704) 376-1605

NEUROLOGICAL SURGERY

MATTHEW MCGIRT, MD Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates 225 Baldwin Ave. (704) 376-1605

TIM ADAMSON, MD Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates 225 Baldwin Ave. (704) 376-1605 ANTHONY ASHER, MD Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates 225 Baldwin Ave. (704) 376-1605 JOE BERNARD, MD Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates 225 Baldwin Ave. (704) 376-1605 DOMAGOJ CORIC, MD Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates 225 Baldwin Ave. (704) 376-1605

CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

MARK SMITH, MD Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates 225 Baldwin Ave. (704) 376-1605 MARK VAN POPPEL, MD Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates 225 Baldwin Ave. (704) 376-1605 SCOTT WAIT, MD Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates 225 Baldwin Ave. (704) 376-1605

NEUROLOGY

MATTHEW CARRARO, MD Novant Health Neurology & Sleep 1918 Randolph Rd. (704) 384-9437 JOSEPH CHIPMAN, MD Novant Health Neurology & Sleep 1918 Randolph Rd. (704) 384-9437 WILLIAM DAWSON, MD Carolina Neurological Clinic Ballantyne 3541 Randolph Rd., Ste. 101 (704) 377-9323 MEGAN, DONNELLY, DO Novant Health Neurology & Headache - SouthPark 6324 Fairview Rd., Ste. 400 (980) 302-8626 DANIELLE ENGLERT, MD Carolinas Medical Center 1010 Edgehill Rd. N (704) 446-1900 SHERVIN ESHRAGHI, MD University Neurological Associates 8401 Medical Plaza Dr., Ste. 150 (980) 949-7079 ROBERT MITCHELL, MD Neurosciences Institute Neurology 315 Medical Park Dr., Ste. 202, Concord (704) 403-1911 RAJDEEP SINGH, MD Carolinas Medical Center Epilepsy/Sleep Clinic 1437 Scott Ave. (704) 446-1900

NUCLEAR MEDICINE

ROBERT QUARLES, MD Mecklenburg Radiology Associates 3623 Latrobe Dr., Ste. 216 (704) 384-4057

OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY

NATASHA ADAMS-DENNY, MD Atrium Health Union OB/GYNMonroe 1550 Faulk St., Ste. 2100, Monroe (704) 289-2553

NORA ARRONTE, MD Novant Health Providence OB/GYN 1718 E. 4th St., Ste. 907 (704) 372-4000

MEMORABLE MOMENT

SARAH BAKER, MD Atrium Health NorthPark 251 Eastway Dr. (704) 446-9991 MARK BLAND, MD Novant Health Rankin OB/GYN 1918 Randolph Rd. (704) 384-1620 GRANT CAMPBELL, MD Atrium Health Eastover University OB/GYN 101 East W.T. Harris Blvd., Ste. 5301 (704) 863-9640 PAMELA COBB, MD Atrium Health NorthPark 251 Eastway Dr. (704) 446-9991 HEATHER GRAHAM, MD Premier Gynecology & Wellness 2310 Randolph Rd., Ste. B (704) 650-7156 LESLIE HANSEN-LINDNER, MD Charlotte OB/GYN Associates 1025 Morehead Medical Dr., Ste. 400 (704) 446-1700 ASTRID JAIN, MD Eastover OB/GYN 7810 Providence Rd., Ste. 105 (704) 446-7800 JENNIFER KALICH, MD Eastover OB/GYN 1025 Morehead Medical Dr. (704) 446-7800 TAMARA MEEKINS, MD Atrium Health Union OB/GYNMonroe 1550 Faulk St., Ste. 2100 , Monroe (704) 289-2553

COURTESY

SHRADDHA MEHTA, MD Atrium Health NorthPark 251 Eastway Dr. (704) 446-9991 ELIZABETH MORAN, MD Premier Gynecology & Wellness 2310 Randolph Rd., Ste. B (704) 650-7156

CHARLOTTE PLASTIC SURGERY

DR. JACK SCHEUER III

It’s not always the people that you operate on that have the biggest impact on you. One evening when I was on-call, another doctor asked for my help taking care of an elderly lady he had just admitted to the hospital with a chronic leg wound. Unfortunately, the patient had a number of health problems and was not a surgical candidate. Therefore, the patient, her family, and I devised a new strategy to care for her legs and get her discharged from the hospital. Over the next year, I continued to see the patient and became very close with her and her family. Whenever she would visit or I would go to see her in the hospital, we would have great conversations - like old friends catching up. Eventually, her health problems worsened and she passed a little over a year ago. Though at times she would remark to me what an impact my care was making on her, she had a much larger impact on me. She reinforced the importance of treating patients with kindness, compassion, and establishing a trusting relationship.

T. CHRISTOPHER MORRIS, MD Novant Health Providence OB/GYN 1718 E. 4th St., Ste. 907 (704) 372-4000 STEVEN PATERNO, MD Atrium Health Copperfield OB/ GYN-Concord A 349 Penny Ln. NE, Concord (704) 786-7158 BARBARA ROWLAND, MD Rock Hill Gynecological Associates 1721 Ebenezer Rd., Ste. 145, Rock Hill (803) 328-2401 THOR SVENDSEN, MD Novant Health Rankin OB/GYN 1918 Randolph Rd. (704) 384-1620 SIMON WARD, MD Novant Health Rankin OB/GYN 1918 Randolph Rd. (704) 384-1620 M. KATHRYN WHITTEN, MD Eastover OB/GYN 7810 Providence Rd., Ste. 105 (704) 446-7800

ROBERT WICKER, MD Charlotte OB/GYN Associates 1025 Morehead Medical Dr., Ste. 400 (704) 446-1700

WEI HUANG, MD/PHD Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat Associates 10305 Hamptons Park Dr., Ste. 201 Huntersville (704) 295-3600

OPHTHALMOLOGY

SCOTT JABEN, MD Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat Associates 6035 Fairview Rd. (704) 295-3000

DAVID BROWNING, MD/PHD Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat Associates 6035 Fairview Rd. (704) 295-3000

JOSEPH KRUG, MD Horizon Eye Care 135 S. Sharon Amity Rd. (704) 365-0555

JOSEPH BIBER, MD Horizon Eye Care 135 S. Sharon Amity Rd. (704) 365-0555

CATHERINE CUITE, MD Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat Associates 6035 Fairview Rd. (704) 295-3000 WILLIAM HAMMONDS, MD Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat Associates 6035 Fairview Rd. (704) 295-3000

KURT LARK, MD Cabarrus Eye Center 201 LePhillip Ct. NE, Concord (704) 782-1127 BARBARA LEE, MD Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat Associates 5933 Blakeney Park Dr., Ste. 200 (704) 295-3000

JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

CASEY MATHYS, MD Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat Associates 6035 Fairview Rd. (704) 295-3000

BRIAN BRIGHTON, MD OrthoCarolina 15825 Ballantyne Medical Pl., Ste. 100 (704) 323-3400

VANDANA MINNAL, MD Horizon Eye Care 135 S. Sharon Amity Rd. (704) 365-0555

MARCUS BRIONES, MD OrthoCarolina 8840 Blakeney Professional Dr., Ste. 102 (704) 714-1401

OMAR PUNJABI, MD Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat Associates 6035 Fairview Rd. (704) 295-3000 USHA REDDY, MD Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat Associates 10305 Hamptons Park Dr., Ste. 201, Huntersville (704) 295-3000

LISA CANNADA, MD Novant Health Orthopedic Fracture Clinic 449 N. Wendover Rd., Ste. A (704) 316-6005 VIRGINIA CASEY, MD OrthoCarolina 1915 Randolph Rd. (704) 323-2543

STRUTHA ROUSE, MD Horizon Eye Care 135 S. Sharon Amity Rd. (704) 365-0555

CHRISTIAN CLARK, MD OrthoCarolina 15825 Ballantyne Medical Pl., Ste. 100 (704) 323-3400

TIMOTHY SAUNDERS, MD Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat Associates 6035 Fairview Rd. (704) 295-3000

BRUCE COHEN, MD OrthoCarolina Foot & Ankle Institute 250 N. Caswell Rd. (704) 323-3668

ERIN SCHOTTHOEFER, MD Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat Associates 10305 Hamptons Park Dr., Ste. 201, Huntersville (704) 295-3600

MARCUS COOK, MD Novant Health Orthopedics & Sports Medicine 2826 Randolph Rd. (704) 358-0308

DONALD STEWART, MD Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat Associates 6035 Fairview Rd. (704) 295-3000 HUNTER STOLLDORF, MD Horizon Eye Care 135 S. Sharon Amity Rd. (704) 365-0555 FREDERICK WEIDMAN, MD Horizon Eye Care 135 S. Sharon Amity Rd. (704) 365-0555

ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY

WALTER BEAVER, MD OrthoCarolina Hip & Knee Center 250 N. Caswell Rd. (704) 323-2564

BRUCE DARDEN, MD OrthoCarolina 2001 Randolph Rd. (704) 323-2225 WILLIAM DAVIS, MD OrthoCarolina Foot & Ankle Institute 250 N. Caswell Rd. (704) 323-3668 KENT ELLINGTON, MD OrthoCarolina Foot & Ankle Institute 250 N. Caswell Rd. (704) 323-3668 JOSEPH ESTWANIK, MD Metrolina Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Clinic 20901 Torrence Chapel Rd., Ste. 102A, Cornelius (704) 334-4663

CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

THOMAS FEHRING, MD OrthoCarolina Hip & Knee Center 2001 Vail Ave., Ste. 200A (704) 323-2564 BRETT FELDMAN, MD Piedmont HealthCare 633 Brookdale Dr., Ste. 300, Statesville (704) 873-3250 RYAN GARCIA, MD OrthoCarolina 1915 Randolph Rd. (704) 323-2426 MICHAEL GETTER, MD Pinnacle Orthopedic Associates 1414 Fern Creek Dr., Statesville (704) 873-6065 NADY HAMID, MD OrthoCarolina 1915 Randolph Rd. (704) 323-3000 MICHAEL HEINIG, MD Carolina Orthopaedic Surgery Assocs 134 Professional Park Dr., Rock Hill (803) 329-3130 JOSEPH HSU, MD CMC Orthopaedic Surgery 1025 Morehead Medical Dr. (704) 446-2772 TODD IRWIN, MD OrthoCarolina Foot & Ankle Institute 250 N. Caswell Rd. (704) 323-3668 CARROLL JONES, MD OrthoCarolina 250 N. Caswell Rd. (704) 323-3668 MADHAV KARUNAKAR, MD Atrium Health Orthopaedic Surgery 1025 Morehead Medical Dr. (704) 446-2060 LAURENCE KEMPTON, MD Atrium Health Orthopaedic Surgery 1025 Morehead Medical Dr. (704) 446-2060 JEFFREY KNEISL, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-3310

ERIC KROPF, MD Atrium Health Musculoskeletal Institute Orthopedics & Sports Medicine 2700 Providence Rd. S, Ste. 225, Waxhaw (704) 863-8750 ANTHONY KWON, MD OrthoCarolina 2001 Randolph Rd. (704) 323-2225 ERIC LAXER, MD OrthoCarolina 15825 Ballantyne Medical Pl., Ste. 100 (704) 323-3400 DANIEL LEWIS, MD OrthoCarolina 1915 Randolph Rd. (704) 323-2426 BRYAN LOEFFLER, MD OrthoCarolina 1915 Randolph Rd. (704) 323-2426 RANJAN MAITRA, MD OrthoCarolina 870 Summit Crossing Pl. Gastonia (704) 867-2333 JOHN B. MASON, MD OrthoCarolina Hip & Knee Center 2001 Vail Ave., Ste. 200A (704) 323-2564 JOHN L. MASONIS, MD OrthoCarolina Hip & Knee Center 250 N. Caswell Rd. (704) 323-2564 PATRICIA MCHALE, MD OrthoCarolina 870 Summit Crossing Pl., Gastonia (704) 867-2333 SCOTT O’NEAL, MD OrthoCarolina 15825 Ballantyne Medical Pl., Ste. 100 (704) 323-3400 LOIS OSIER, MD OrthoCarolina 1915 Randolph Rd. (704) 323-2426

JOSHUA PATT, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-3310

MEMORABLE MOMENT

JONATHAN PAUL, MD Charlotte Sports Medicine Institute 10616 Metromont Pkwy., Ste. 106 (704) 509-6427 JONATHAN RIBOH, MD OrthoCarolina 1915 Randolph Rd. (704) 323-3000 BRIAN SCANNELL, MD OrthoCarolina 1915 Randolph Rd. (704) 323-2543 EDWIN SEBOLD, MD OrthoCarolina Foot & Ankle Institute 250 N. Caswell Rd. (704) 323-3668 SCOTT SHAWEN, MD OrthoCarolina 15825 Ballantyne Medical Pl., Ste. 100 (704) 323-3400

DR. ANDREW SHULMAN, M.D.

Pediatric Surgery

One of the great privileges of practicing medicine is to train the next generation of physicians. As a medical student, I trained under a heart surgeon and assisted when his patient was bleeding to death in the intensive care unit. My mentor quickly diagnosed the problem, opened the chest, and controlled the bleeding with his hands. He kept his hands on the patient’s heart while we wheeled back to the operating room, saving the patient’s life. Years later, I was in a similar situation. A victim of a car crash was bleeding to death. The bleeding was coming from the body’s main artery, the aorta. We quickly opened the patient’s chest, and I applied pressure to stop the bleeding; keeping my hands on the aorta as we wheeled to the OR. In that moment, the memories of my mentor guided me: his lessons helping me save my patient’s life. On that day too, I was able to pass down those lessons to my trainees, continuing a legacy of teaching essential to the practice of medicine.

STEPHEN SIMS, MD Atrium Health Orthopaedic Surgery 1025 Morehead Medical Dr. (704) 446-2060

JOHN BLUMER, MD Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat Associates 6035 Fairview Rd. (704) 295-3000

RONALD SINGER, MD OrthoCarolina 15825 Ballantyne Medical Pl., Ste. 100 (704) 323-3400

DANIEL BRICKMAN, MD Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat Associates 6035 Fairview Rd. (704) 295-3000

BRYAN SPRINGER, MD OrthoCarolina 5935 Carnegie Blvd., Ste. 200 (704) 323-2564

JEWEL GREYWOODE, MD Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat Associates 400 E. Stonewall St., Ste. 1A (704) 295-3110

BENJAMIN SUTKER, MD OrthoCarolina 197 Piedmont Blvd., Ste. 111, Rock Hill (803) 328-6306

OTOLARYNGOLOGY

COURTESY

PEDIATRIC SURGICAL ASSOCIATES

MARK ABRAMS, MD Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat Associates 200 South Herlong Ave., Ste. F., Rock Hill (803) 327-4000

HUNTER HOOVER, MD Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat Associates 6035 Fairview Rd. (704) 295-3000 DONALD KAMERER, MD Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat Associates 6035 Fairview Rd. (704) 295-3000

ROBERT QUINN, MD Quinn Ear, Nose & Throat 25 Lake Concord Rd., Concord (704) 782-6673 MARK REIBER, MD ENT Carolina-Gastonia 2520 Aberdeen Blvd., Gastonia (704) 868-8400 MICHAEL SICARD, MD Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat Associates 724 Aubrey Bell Dr., Matthews (704) 295-3550 JOHN SILVER, MD Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat Associates 724 Aubrey Bell Dr., Matthews (704) 295-3550 DARON SMITH, MD Queen City Ear, Nose & Throat 1994 Wellness Blvd., Ste. 210, Monroe (704) 703-1080

DOUGLAS VILLARET, MD Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat Associates 6035 Fairview Rd. (704) 295-3000 HERBERT WETTREICH, MD Lake Norman ENT 140 Gateway Blvd., Mooresville (704) 664-9638

OTOLARYNGOLOGY/FACIAL PLASTIC SURGERY

JONATHAN KULBERSH, MD Carolina Facial Plastics 6817 Fairview Rd. (704) 323-5090

PAIN MEDICINE

JON-DAVID HOPPENFELD, MD Southeast Pain & Spine Care 1025 Morehead Medical Dr. (704) 377-7246

JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

PATHOLOGY

ARTHUR COHEN, MD Presbyterian Hospital, Department of Pathology 200 Hawthorne Ln. (704) 384-4814 CHAD LIVASY, MD Carolinas Pathology Group 101 East W.T. Harris Blvd., Ste. 1212 (704) 549-8444

PEDIATRIC CARDIOLOGY

A. RESAI BENGUR, MD Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute 100 Medical Park Dr., Ste. 310, Concord (704) 403-2860 MATTHEW BROTHERS, MD Novant Health Pediatric Cardiology 1718 E. 4th St., Ste. 605 (704) 316-1220 RANDALL BRYANT, MD Sanger Heart & Vascular InstituteCharlotte Pediatric Cardiology 1001 Blythe Blvd., Ste. 200D (704) 373-1813 WILLIAM HAMMILL, MD Novant Health Pediatric Cardiology 1718 E. 4th St., Ste. 605 (704) 316-1220 DAVID OHMSTEDE, MD Novant Health Pediatric Cardiology 1718 E. 4th St., Ste. 605 (704) 316-1220 MATTHEW SCHWARTZ, MD Sanger Heart & Vascular InstituteCharlotte Pediatric Cardiology 1001 Blythe Blvd., Ste. 500 (704) 373-1813 FRANCES TRAVELLI, MD Novant Health Pediatric Cardiology 1718 E. 4th St., Ste. 605 (704) 316-1220 GONZALO WALLIS, MD Sanger Heart & Vascular InstituteCharlotte Pediatric Cardiology 1001 Blythe Blvd., Ste. 500 (704) 373-1813

PEDIATRIC ENDOCRINOLOGY

LISA HOUCHIN, MD Ped Endocrinology & Diabetes Specialists 4502 Cameron Valley Pkwy., Ste. 200 (704) 512-3636 MALAKA JACKSON, MD Novant Health Pediatric Endocrinology 201 Queens Rd. (704) 316-5285 MARK VANDERWEL, MD Ped Endocrinology & Diabetes Specialists 4502 Cameron Valley Pkwy., Ste. 200 (704) 512-3636

PEDIATRIC GASTROENTEROLOGY

RICARDO CAICEDO, MD Levine Children’s Hospital 1001 Blythe Blvd. (704) 381-6850 JASON DRANOVE, MD Levine Children’s Hospital 1001 Blythe Blvd. (704) 381-6850

VANI GOPALAREDDY, MD Levine Children’s Hospital 1001 Blythe Blvd. (704) 381-6850

AMEESH SHAH, MD Levine Children’s Hospital 1001 Blythe Blvd. (704) 381-6850

PEDIATRIC HEMATOLOGYONCOLOGY

JESSICA BELL, MD St. Jude Affiliate Clinic at NH Hemby Children’s Hospital 301 Hawthorne Ln., Ste. 100 (704) 384-1900 CHRISTINE BOLEN, MD St. Jude Affiliate Clinic at NH Hemby Children’s Hospital 301 Hawthorne Ln., Ste. 100 (704) 384-1900 PAULETTE BRYANT, MD St. Jude Affiliate Clinic at NH Hemby Children’s Hospital 301 Hawthorne Ln., Ste. 100 (704) 384-1900 ASHLEY HINSON, MD Levine Children’s Hospital 1001 Blythe Blvd., Ste. 601 (704) 381-9900 CHAD JACOBSEN, MD Levine Children’s Hospital 1001 Blythe Blvd., Ste. 601 (704) 381-9900 DANIEL MCMAHON, MD Levine Children’s Hospital 1001 Blythe Blvd., Ste. 601 (704) 381-9900

W. STOKES HOUCK, MD Novant Health Pediatric Gastroenterology 2711 Randolph Rd., Ste. 301 (704) 316-5060

JAVIER OESTERHELD, MD Levine Children’s Hospital 1001 Blythe Blvd., Ste. 601 (704) 381-9900

VICTOR PINEIRO, MD Levine Children’s Hospital 1001 Blythe Blvd. (704) 381-8840

JENNIFER POPE, MD Levine Children’s Hospital 1001 Blythe Blvd., Ste. 601 (704) 381-9900

MELANIE RHUE, MD Novant Health Pediatric Gastroenterology 1401 Matthews Township Pkwy., Ste. 100 (704) 316-5060 JAMES SANDBERG, MD Novant Health Pediatric Gastroenterology 2711 Randolph Rd., Ste. 301 (704) 316-5060

CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE

AMINA AHMED, MD Levine Children’s Hospital 1001 Blythe Blvd. (704) 381-8840 LEE MORRIS, MD Levine Children’s Hospital 1001 Blythe Blvd. (704) 381-8840

NIRAJ PATEL, MD Levine Children’s Hospital 1001 Blythe Blvd. (704) 381-8840

PEDIATRIC NEPHROLOGY

POORNIMA BADDI, MD Novant Health Pediatric Nephrology-Midtown 201 Queens Rd. (704) 316-5910

AMANDA DALE-SHALL, MD Levine Children’s Hospital 1001 Blythe Blvd. (704) 381-8840 SUSAN MASSENGILL, MD Levine Children’s Hospital 1001 Blythe Blvd. (704) 381-8840 CHARLES MCKAY, MD Levine Children’s Hospital 1001 Blythe Blvd. (704) 381-8840 DONALD WEAVER, MD Levine Children’s Hospital 1001 Blythe Blvd. (704) 381-8840

PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY

WILLIAM ASHE, MD Asthma & Allergy Specialists 8045 Providence Rd., Ste. 300 (704) 341-9600 HUGH BLACK, MD Asthma & Allergy Specialists 8045 Providence Rd., Ste. 300 (704) 341-9600 MARC CHESTER, MD Novant Health Pediatric Pulmonology 201 Queens Rd., Ste. 102 (704) 316-5280 MAXINE EIKANI, MD Novant Health Pediatric Pulmonology 201 Queens Rd., Ste. 102 (704) 316-5280

PEDIATRIC RHEUMATOLOGY

SHEETAL VORA, MD Levine Children’s Specialty Center 1001 Blythe Blvd. (704) 381-8840

PEDIATRIC SURGERY

DANIEL BAMBINI, MD Pediatric Surgical Associates 1900 Randolph Rd., Ste. 210 (704) 370-0223

MEMORABLE MOMENT

GRAHAM COSPER, MD Pediatric Surgical Associates 1900 Randolph Rd., Ste. 210 (704) 370-0223 THOMAS SCHMELZER, MD Pediatric Surgical Associates 1900 Randolph Rd., Ste. 210 (704) 370-0223 ANDREW SCHULMAN, MD Pediatric Surgical Associates 1900 Randolph Rd., Ste. 210 (704) 370-0223 STEVEN TEICH, MD Carolinas HealthCare System Pediatric Surgery 1025 Morehead Medical Dr. (704) 446-5070

PEDIATRIC UROLOGY

ALISON KEENAN, MD Atrium Health Levine Children’s Urology 1025 Morehead Medical Dr. (704) 446-5070 JAY LEVY, MD Pediatric Urology Associates 3135 Springbank Ln., Ste. 200 (704) 540-3667 JOSEPH MOLITIERNO, MD Pediatric Urology Associates 3135 Springbank Ln., Ste. 200 (704) 540-3667 LUIS PEREZ, MD Children’s Urology of the Carolinas 230 Baldwin Ave. (704) 376-5636 MARK WILLIAMS, MD Atrium Health Levine Children’s Urology 1025 Morehead Medical Dr. (704) 446-5070

COURTESY

PEDIATRICS

KATHERINE ADDISON, MD Novant Health Dilworth Pediatrics 1315 East Blvd., Ste. 280 (704) 384-1866

TRYON MEDICAL PARTNERS SOUTHPARK

DR. TINA KENNELLY

Internal Medicine

My memorable moment has been participating in the COVID-19 vaccine research trials at Tryon Medical Partners. This pandemic forced medical teams to create a vaccine in real-time while learning new information about coronavirus daily. I, along with a team of clinical trial navigators and other Tryon Medical physicians, spent nights, weekends and long hours working to administer vaccine doses and measure effectiveness among our trial participants, all while practicing medicine and fielding patient concerns over COVID symptoms. During the course of the vaccine trial we revealed to participants whether they received vaccine or placebo. There are so many memorable moments seeing the absolute feelings of joy come over their face when I informed them that they had received the COVID vaccine. To see their excitement in being able to safely see their loved ones was the moment I remember most. I’m proud to be part of history-making research and to know that our efforts with the vaccine trials have allowed people to get back to their normal lives.

SHELIA ANKRAH, MD Novant Health Elizabeth Pediatrics 2630 E. 7th St., Ste. 101 (704) 384-1000 RACHEL BOZIN, MD Atrium Health Levine Children’s Charlotte Pediatric Clinic 4501 Cameron Valley Pkwy. (704) 367-7400 CHPRYELLE CARR, MD Atrium Health Levine Children’s Waxhaw Pediatrics 2700 Providence Rd. S, Ste. 350, Waxhaw (704) 667-6735 MARY CROSS, MD Novant Health Eastover Pediatrics 517 S. Sharon Amity Rd. (704) 384-8800 ELLEN DAVIS, MD CaroMont Pediatric Partners 705 Summit Crossing Pl., Ste. 150, Gastonia (704) 671-6300

RENU, DOSHI, MD Atrium Health Levine Children’s Waxhaw Pediatrics 2700 Providence Rd. S, Ste. 350, Waxhaw (704) 667-6735

ANITHA LEONARD, MD Levine Children’s Arboretum Pediatrics 7800 Providence Rd., Ste. 203 (704) 512-2610

WILMA, DOWNING, MD Novant Health Pediatrics Blakeney 9224 Ardrey Kell Rd., Ste. 200 (704) 316-1495

ELISSA LEVINE, MD Novant Health Pediatrics Ardrey Kell 8169 Ardrey Kell Rd. (704) 542-5540

SUSAN DUNCAN-BUTLER, MD Novant Health Child & Adolescent Medical Group 3614 Providence Rd., Waxhaw (704) 384-8772

STEPHEN LODS, MD Novant Health Pediatrics Concord 311 Coddle Market Dr. NW, Ste. 100, Concord (980) 302-9100

TARA GAINES, MD Novant Health Pediatrics Concord 311 Coddle Market Dr. NW, Ste. 100, Concord (980) 302-9100

LISA MILLS, MD Novant Health Elizabeth Pediatrics 2630 E. 7th St., Ste. 101 (704) 384-1000

AMANDA LANIER, MD Levine Children’s Perspective Health & Wellness 4502 Cameron Valley Pkwy., Ste. 200B (704) 381-0500

CATHERINE OHMSTEDE, MD Novant Health Dilworth Pediatrics 1315 East Blvd., Ste. 280 (704) 384-1866

JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

RAJ PATEL, MD Sunshine Pediatrics 724 Arden Ln., Ste. 100, Rock Hill (803) 980-7337

JENNIFER SQUIRES, MD Novant Health Elizabeth Pediatrics 2630 E. 7th St., Ste. 101 (704) 384-1000

TOBIAS TSAI, MD Levine Children’s Hospital 1001 Blythe Blvd. (704) 381-8840

RHONDA PATT, MD Charlotte Pediatric Clinic 4502 Cameron Valley Pkwy., Ste. 100 (704) 367-7400

KERRY VAN VOORHIS, MD Novant Health 6010 Carnegie B.vd. (704) 384-9966

CARLOS PAXTOR, MD Sunshine Pediatrics 724 Arden Ln., Ste. 100, Rock Hill (803) 980-7337

PHYSICAL MEDICINE & REHABILITATION

JOHN WELSHOFER, MD Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates 14135 Ballantyne Corporate Pl., Ste. 100 (704) 831-4300

LAURA PRIDEMORE, MD Novant Health Elizabeth Pediatrics 2630 E. 7th St., Ste. 101 (704) 384-1000 KASEY SCANNELL, MD Novant Health 6010 Carnegie Blvd. (704) 384-9966 ANNA SCHMELZER, MD Atrium Health Levine Children’s Charlotte Pediatric Clinic 4503 Cameron Valley Pkwy. (704) 367-7400 KYMBERLY SELDEN, MD Novant Health Pediatrics Concord 311 Coddle Market Dr. NW, Ste. 100, Concord (980) 302-9100 ANKUR SHAH, MD Novant Health Pediatrics Blakeney 9224 Ardrey Kell Rd., Ste. 200 (704) 316-1495 ANDREW SHULSTAD, MD Novant Health 6010 Carnegie Blvd. (704) 384-9966 MARGARET SIEGEL, MD Novant Health Dilworth Pediatrics 1315 East Blvd., Ste. 280 (704) 384-1866 HOLLY SMITH, MD Novant Health Child & Adolescent Medical Group 6488 Weddington-Monroe Rd., Wesley Chapel (704) 384-8460 ARTHUR SPELL, MD Charlotte Pediatric Clinic 6235 Blakely Park Dr., Ste. 100 (704) 512-5060

PUNEET AGGARWAL, MD Sports Medicine & Injury Care 3030 Randolph Rd., Ste. 105-B (704) 863-4878 WILLIAM BOCKENEK, MD Carolinas Rehabilitation 1100 Blythe Blvd. (704) 355-3558 JOHN LESHER, MD Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates 110 Lake Concord Rd. NE, Concord (704) 792-2672 VU NGUYEN, MD Carolinas Rehabilitation 1100 Blythe Blvd. (704) 355-3558 TEJAS PARIKH, MD Carolina Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Center 2345 Court Dr., Gastonia (704) 865-0077 VISHWA RAJ, MD Carolinas Rehabilitation 1100 Blythe Blvd. (704) 355-3558 SONYA RISSMILLER, MD Sports Medicine & Injury Care 3030 Randolph Rd., Ste. 105 (704) 863-4878 NICOLE RUP, MD Carolinas Rehabilitation-NorthEast 487 Lake Concord Rd., Concord (704) 403-0100 ANDREW SUMICH, MD Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates 225 Baldwin Ave. (704) 376-1605

CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

JOSEPH ZUHOSKY, MD Novant Health Spine Specialists 10305 Hamptons Park Dr., Ste. 101, Huntersville (704) 895-9838

PLASTIC SURGERY

JAMES APPEL, MD Novant Health Appel Plastic Surgery 1901 Brunswick Ave. (704) 316-5025 MICHAEL BEASLEY, MD Charlotte Plastic Surgery 2215 Randolph Rd. (704) 372-6846 EDWARD BEDNAR, MD Bednar Cosmetic Surgery 439 N. Wendover Rd. (704) 366-6700 GAURAV BHARTI, MD H/K/B Cosmetic Surgery 11208 Statesville Rd., Ste. 300, Huntersville (704) 659-9000 PETER CAPIZZI, MD Capizzi, MD 900 East Blvd. (704) 655-8988 NICHOLAS CLAVIN, MD CMC Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery 1025 Morehead Medical Dr. (704) 446-6810 KARA CRISWELL, MD Criswell & Criswell Plastic Surgery 14835 Ballantyne Village Way, Ste. 210 (704) 930-0428 BRYAN CRISWELL, MD Criswell & Criswell Plastic Surgery 14835 Ballantyne Village Way, Ste. 210 (704) 930-0428

ERIC EMERSON, MD Piedmont Plastic Surgery & Dermatology 934 Cox Rd., Gastonia (704) 866-7576 DAVID FISHER, MD Carolinas HealthCare System Pediatric Surgery 1025 Morehead Medical Dr. (704) 403-2662 ENAMUL HAQUE, MD Queen City Plastic Surgery 3025 Springbank Ln., Ste. 240 (704) 372-5685 GARRETT HARPER, MD Graper-Harper Cosmetic Surgery 2915 Coltsgate Rd., Ste. 103 (704) 375-7111 JOSEPH HUNSTAD, MD H/K/B Cosmetic Surgery 11208 Statesville Rd., Ste. 300 Huntersville (704) 659-9000 THOMAS LISZKA, MD Ballantyne Plastic Surgery 14135 Ballantyne Corporate Pl., Ste. 150 (704) 413-3566 DAVID MATTHEWS, MD 1719 South Blvd., Ste. B (704) 375-2955 ERIK MILES, MD North Charlotte Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery 9615 Kincey Ave., Ste. 104, Huntersville (704) 896-5556 THEODORE NYAME, MD Charlotte Plastic Surgery 2215 Randolph Rd. (704) 837-7191 JOHN ROBINSON, MD Carolinas Medical Center 1025 Morehead Medical Dr. (704) 446-6810 JACK SCHEUER, MD Charlotte Plastic Surgery 2215 Randolph Rd. (704) 837-7191 KEVIN SMITH, MD Charlotte Plastic Surgery 2215 Randolph Rd. (704) 837-7191

PSYCHIATRY

SCOTT LURIE, MD 1808 E. 7th St. (704) 376-6577 J. ALLEN MELVIN, MD Allen Melvin, MD 3315 Springbank Ln., Ste. 302 (704) 644-7885 LANCE REGER, MD 6845 Fairview Rd. (704) 969-1147

PULMONARY DISEASE

WILLIAM ALLEYNE, MD Carolina Pulmonary Physicians 124 Glenwood Dr., Rock Hil (803) 324-5280 KENNETH COGGINS, MD Carolinas HealthCare System Pulmonary Care 1001 Blythe Blvd., Ste. 403 (704) 355-5375 CARMINE DALTO, MD CaroMont Pulmonary Medicine 934 Cox Rd., Gastonia (980) 834-5864 JOHN, DOTY, MD Carolinas HealthCare System Pulmonary Care 1001 Blythe Blvd., Ste. 403 (704) 355-5375 WALID ELTARABOULSI, MD Tryon Medical Partners 16817 Marvin Rd. (704) 495-6036

SCOTT LINDBLOM, MD Carolinas HealthCare System Pulmonary Care 1001 Blythe Blvd., Ste. 403 (704) 355-5375

L MCGINNIS, MD Southeast Radiation Oncology Group 125 Queens Rd., Ste. 150 (704) 802-1639

KIMBERLY MCCREA, MD Novant Health Pulmonary & Critical Care 1918 Randolph Rd. (704) 384-9900

ROSHAN PRABHU, MD Southeast Radiation Oncology Group 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-1100

RICHARD POMERANTZ, MD Novant Health Pulmonary & Critical Care 1450 Matthews Township Pkwy., Ste. 380, Matthews (704) 384-9200

HADLEY SHARP, MD University City Radiation Therapy Center 8800 N. Tryon St. (704) 547-8762

MICHAEL REIF, MD Carolinas HealthCare System Pulmonary Care 1001 Blythe Blvd., Ste. 403 (704) 355-5375 JASPAL SINGH, MD Carolinas HealthCare System Pulmonary Care 1001 Blythe Blvd., Ste. 403 (704) 355-5375 JEFFREY WALLS, MD Novant Health Pulmonary & Critical Care 1918 Randolph Rd. (704) 384-9900

RADIATION ONCOLOGY

WILLIAM BOBO, MD/PHD Rock Hill Radiation Therapy Center 228 S. Herlong Ave., Rock Hill (803) 366-5186

WILLIAM WARLICK, MD Southeast Radiation Oncology Group 125 Queens Rd., Ste. 150 (704) 802-1639

REPRODUCTIVE ENDOCRINOLOGY/ INFERTILITY

BRADLEY HURST, MD CMC Women’s Institute 1025 Morehead Medical Dr. (704) 355-3149 MATRIKA JOHNSON, MD Reproductive Specialists of the Carolinas 1918 Randolph Rd. (704) 247-2209 SETH KATZ, MD Reproductive Endocrinology Associates of Charlotte 1524 E. Morehead St. (704) 343-3400

STUART GARNER, MD Novant Health Pulmonary & Critical Care 1918 Randolph Rd. (704) 384-9900

STUART BURRI, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-1100

DANIEL HOWARD, MD Carolinas HealthCare System Pulmonary Care 1001 Blythe Blvd., Ste. 403 (704) 355-5375

CAROLINA FASOLA, MD Southeastern Radiation Oncology Group 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-1100

REBECCA USADI, MD CMC Women’s Institute 1025 Morehead Medical Dr. (704) 355-3149

JAMES JONES, MD Tryon Medical Partners 6060 Piedmont Row Dr. S (704) 489-3094

SCOTT LANKFORD, MD Southeast Radiation Oncology Group 200 Queens Rd., Ste. 400 (704) 333-7376

JOSEPH WHELAN, MD Reproductive Endocrinology Associates of Charlotte 1524 E. Morehead St. (704) 343-3400

RHEUMATOLOGY

DIANE GEORGE, MD Tryon Medical Partners 16817 Marvin Rd. (704) 900-6225 HEATHER HOLDEN, MD Novant Health Rheumatology & Arthritis 6324 Fairview Rd., Ste. 330, Concord (704) 316-1950 ALISON JOHNSON, MD Tryon Medical Partners 9615 Kincey Ave., Ste. 210, Huntersville (704) 900-6225 VICTORIA LACKEY, MD Arthritis & Osteoporosis Consultants of the Carolinas 1918 Randolph Rd. (704) 342-0252 ANDREW LASTER, MD Arthritis & Osteoporosis Consultants of the Carolinas 1918 Randolph Rd. (704) 342-0252 ASHWINI MHATRE PUNJABI, MD Novant Health Rheumatology & Arthritis 12311 Copper Way, Ste. 100 (704) 316-2916 ASHLEY TOCI, MD Arthritis & Osteoporosis Consultants of the Carolinas 1918 Randolph Rd. (704) 342-0252 AMANDA WAKELEY, DO SouthPark Rheumatology 4525 Cameron Valley Pkwy., Ste. 4100 (704) 468-8873 JILL ZOUZOULAS, MD Tryon Medical Partners 6060 Piedmont Row Dr. S (704) 489-3094

COURTESY

MICHELLE MATTHEWS, MD CMC Women’s Institute 1025 Morehead Medical Dr. (704) 355-3149

RICHARD WING, MD Reproductive Endocrinology Associates of Charlotte 1524 E. Morehead St. (704) 343-3400

JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

SLEEP MEDICINE

NANCY BEHRENS, MD Novant Health Sleep Medicine 14215 Ballantyne Corporate Pl., Ste. 230 (704) 316-5000 W. ERIC CLEMONS, MD Tryon Medical Partners 6060 Piedmont Row Dr. S (704) 489-3094 EHRLICH TAN, MD Tryon Medical Partners 6060 Piedmont Row Dr. S (704) 489-3094

SPORTS MEDICINE

PATRICK CONNOR, MD OrthoCarolina 1915 Randolph Rd. (704) 323-3000

ERIC WARREN, MD Atrium Health Musculoskeletal Institute 6050 W. Highway 74, Indian Trail (704) 863-4878

SURGERY

ROC BAUMAN, MD Atrium Health Weight Management 1090 Vinehaven Dr., Concord (704) 403-7580 BRYAN BLITSTEIN, MD Surgical Specialists of Charlotte 10030 Gilead Rd., Ste. 245 Huntersville (704) 895-9390 ROGER DENNY, MD Atrium Health Transplant Center 1025 Morehead Medical Dr. (704) 355-6649

HEATHER HAVLIK, MD Atrium Health Charlotte Medical Clinic - Arboretum 3025 Springbank Ln., Ste. 100 (704) 446-2620

WYATT FOWLER, MD Novant Health Cancer Institute 125 Queens Rd. (704) 377-3900

CLAUDE MOORMAN, MD OrthoCarolina 1915 Randolph Rd. (704) 323-2000

KEITH GERSIN, MD Carolinas Weight Management 2630 E. 7th St., Ste. 200 (704) 355-9484

AUGUSTUS PARKER, MD Novant Health Blakeney Family Physicians 5815 Blakeney Park Dr., Ste. 200-B (704) 316-5080

LEJLA HADZIKADIC-GUSIC, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr., Ste. 6200 (980) 442-6400

DAVID PRICE, MD Sports Medicine & Injury CareRandolph 3030 Randolph Rd. (704) 863-4878

B. TODD HENIFORD, MD Carolinas Medical Center 1025 Morehead Medical Dr., Ste. 300 (704) 355-1813

CATHERINE RAINBOW, MD Sports Medicine & Injury CareBallantyne 14214 Ballantyne Lake Rd., Ste. 150 (704) 863-4878

JOSHUA HILL, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-6410

CHRISTIAN TURNER, MD Novant Health Pediatric Sports Medicine 201 Queens Rd. (704) 316-1020

DAVID IANNITTI, MD Carolinas Medical Center 1025 Morehead Medical Dr., Ste. 600 (704) 355-1813 IYORE JAMES, MD Surgical Specialists of Charlotte 1450 Matthews Township Pkwy., Ste. 250, Matthews (704) 841-1444

CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

KENT KERCHER, MD Carolinas Medical Center 1025 Morehead Medical Dr., Ste. 300 (704) 355-1813 JOHN MARTINIE, MD Carolinas Medical Center 1025 Morehead Medical Dr., Ste. 600 (704) 355-1813 BRENT MATTHEWS, MD Carolinas Medical Center 1025 Morehead Medical Dr., Ste. 300 (704) 355-1813 LEE PEDERSON, MD Surgical Specialists of Charlotte 2001 Vail Ave., Ste. 320 (704) 333-0741 ANTHONY RASPANTI, MD CaroMont Surgical Associates 2555 Court Dr., Ste. 450, Gastonia (704) 671-7652 JONATHAN SALO, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-2000 TERRY SARANTOU, MD Cancer Care at Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-6400 DEBA SARMA, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr., Ste. 6200 (980) 442-6400 STEVEN THIES, MD Surgical Specialists of Charlotte 10512 Park Rd., Ste. 101 (704) 542-3631 PETER TURK, MD Novant Health Cancer Institute 125 Queens Rd. (704) 377-3900 DIONISIOS VROCHIDES, MD/ PHD Carolinas Medical Center 1025 Morehead Medical Dr., Ste. 600 (704) 355-1813

KRISTIN WAGNER, MD Surgical Specialists of Charlotte 2001 Vail Ave., Ste. 320 (704) 333-0741 ERIC WALLACE, MD Surgical Specialists of Charlotte 1450 Matthews Township Pkwy., Ste. 250, Matthews (704) 841-1444 LESLIE WEBSTER, MD Surgical Specialists of Charlotte 10512 Park Rd., Ste. 101 (704) 542-3631 RICHARD WHITE, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-2000 LOUIS ZBINDEN, MD Surgical Specialists of Charlotte 10512 Park Rd., Ste. 101 (704) 542-3631

THORACIC & CARDIAC SURGERY

RALPH CHRISTY, MD Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute 100 Medical Park Dr., Ste. 210, Concord (704) 403-1349 JOHN FREDERICK, MD Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute 1001 Blythe Blvd., Ste. 300 (704) 373-0212 JAMES GREELISH, MD CaroMont Health 2555 Court Dr., Ste. 200, Gastonia (704) 834-3278 JEFFREY HAGEN, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-3300 PAUL KIRSHBOM, MD Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute 1001 Blythe Blvd., Ste. 200D (704) 373-1813 JONATHAN KRAUT, MD Novant Health Cancer Institute 125 Queens Rd. (980) 302-6700

JEKO MADJAROV, MD Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute 1001 Blythe Blvd., Ste. 300 (704) 373-0212 THOMAS MAXEY, MD Sanger Heart & Vascular InstituteCharlotte Pediatric Cardiology 1001 Blythe Blvd., Ste. 500 (704) 373-1813 MICHAEL ROACH, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-3300 ERIC SKIPPER, MD Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute 1001 Blythe Blvd., Ste. 300 (704) 373-0212 MEDHAT TAKLA, MD Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute 100 Medical Park Dr., Ste. 210, Concord (704) 403-1349

UROGYNECOLOGY/ FEMALE PELVIC MEDICINE & RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY

KEVIN STEPP, MD Women’s Center for Pelvic Health 2001 Vail Ave., Ste. 360 (704) 304-1160 MEGAN TARR, MD Women’s Center for Pelvic Health 200 Medical Park Dr., Ste. 250, Concord (704) 403-6350

UROLOGY

PETER CLARK, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-6410 MICHAEL CRAM, MD Carolina Urology Partners 137 Professional Park Dr., Ste. D, Mooresville (704) 660-3322 MANISH DAMANI, MD Urology Specialists of the Carolinas 325 Hawthorne Ln., Fl. 3 (704) 372-5180 JOSEPH DEBORD, MD Carolina Urology Partners 1084 Vinehaven Dr., Concord (704) 786-5131 JACQUES GANEM, MD Urology Specialists of the Carolinas 325 Hawthorne Ln., Fl. 3 (704) 372-5180 KRIS GASTON, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-6410 MICHAEL KENNELLY, MD Women’s Center for Pelvic Health 2001 Vail Ave., Ste. 360 (704) 304-1160 JOHN KIRKLAND, MD Urology Specialists of the Carolinas 325 Hawthorne Ln., Fl. 3 (704) 372-5180

CONGRATUL ATIONS to the 2021

VASCULAR SURGERY

MARK MAKHULI, MD McKay Urology 1023 Edgehill Rd. S (704) 355-8686

JAMES ANTEZANA, MD South Charlotte General & Vascular Surgery 10512 Park Rd., Ste. 111 (980) 216-8340

MANISH PATEL, MD McKay Urology 1023 Edgehill Rd. S (704) 355-8686

ELIAS ARBID, MD South Charlotte General & Vascular Surgery 10512 Park Rd., Ste. 111 (980) 216-8340

SAMUEL PERETSMAN, MD Urology Specialists of the Carolinas 325 Hawthorne Ln., Fl. 3 (704) 372-5180

FRANK ARKO, MD Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute 1001 Blythe Blvd., Ste. 300 (704) 373-0212

STEPHEN RIGGS, MD Levine Cancer Institute 1021 Morehead Medical Dr. (980) 442-6410

CHARLES BRIGGS, MD Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute 1001 Blythe Blvd., Ste. 300 (704) 373-0212

ORNOB ROY, MD McKay Urology 1023 Edgehill Rd. S (704) 355-8686

JASON BURGESS, MD Surgical Specialists of Charlotte 2001 Vail Ave., Ste. 320 (704) 333-0741

ANGELA SCHANG, MD McKay Urology 1023 Edgehill Rd. S (704) 355-8686

PETER FORDMD Vascular Solutions 7800 Providence Rd., Ste. 209 (704) 550-2570

GILLIAN STEARNS-PARR, MD McKay Urology 1023 Edgehill Rd. S (704) 355-8686

PAUL ORLAND, MD Surgical Specialists of Charlotte 2001 Vail Ave., Ste. 320 (704) 333-0741

DANIEL WATSON, MD Urology Specialists of the Carolinas 325 Hawthorne Ln., Fl. 3 (704) 372-5180

WALLACE TARRY, MD Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute 100 Medical Park Dr., Ste. 210, Concord (704) 403-6100

We’re honoring the 2021 Top Doctors at a reception at the Grand Bohemian Hotel Charlotte on Sept. 8, 2021 ClosetsbyDesign

THANK YOU TO OUR ®SPONSORS:

Closets byDesign

DOCTORS

Look for your invitation in the mail with information on how to purchase tickets.

Learn more at charlottemagazine.com/topdoctors

JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

PHYSICIAN

PROFILES Choosing a doctor can be overwhelmingly difficult and worrisome. The relationship with your doctor is a sacred bond of trust, and is therefore one of the most important decisions you will make.

SHUTTERSTOCK

To help you select a practitioner who will meet your needs, the following doctors want to tell you more about themselves, their practice and how partnering with them will improve your quality of life.

DARIUS EVANS

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Criswell & Criswell Plastic Surgery Ballantyne Surgery Center, Laser & MedSpa 14835 Ballantyne Village Way, Ste. 210 Charlotte, NC 28277 704-424-5050 criswellplastics.com Instagram: @criswellplastics

Dr. Bryan Criswell and Dr. Kara Criswell are highly trained surgeons who are board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, using the latest surgical techniques and minimally invasive procedures. Through a shared artistic vision and advanced surgical training, the physicians and staff specialize in delivering quality, individualized care and achieving the best results possible based on each patient’s unique needs and concerns. Criswell & Criswell, offering cosmetic surgery, laser skin care, and medical spa services, provides extensive surgical and non-surgical options to care for an array of concerns for patients. In addition to specializing in facelifts, mommy makeovers, breast augmentation, reconstruction, and liposuction, to name a few, the practice offers the latest in laser technologies, laser skin rejuvenation, non-invasive body contouring, feminine rejuvenation, innovative skin care, and injectables. Both surgeons offer an extensive range of treatments that allow them to continue their long tradition of helping you to achieve the image in your mind of the true you. Dr. Kara Criswell is proud to serve as Chairman of the Department of Plastic Surgery at Novant Health and is well known for her artistic talent and meticulous attention to detail. Dr. Bryan Criswell serves as the medical director for Criswell & Criswell and his patients know him well for his warmth, caring, and perfectionism. Together, they create a professional, comfortable, and friendly relationship with their patients. Drs. Criswell and staff achieve excellence by providing meticulous and individualized care. “Our attention to every detail allows our patients to expect and achieve exceptional results,” the doctors say. At Criswell & Criswell, we treat the body, face, skin, and soul.

DARIUS EVANS

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Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Relief Maeve E. O’Connor, MD, FACAAI, FAAAAI, FACP AAIR Elizabeth 1523 Elizabeth Ave., Ste. 200 Charlotte, NC 28204 AAIR Steele Creek 10926 S. Tryon St., Ste. D Charlotte, NC 28273 AAIR Blakeney 8810 Blakeney Professional Dr., Ste. 100 Charlotte, NC 28277 704-910-1402 aairofcharlotte.com

Led by Dr. Maeve O’Connor, AAIR (Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Relief ) of Charlotte is much more than Charlotte’s premier allergy and asthma clinic. For over eight years, AAIR has delivered the highest level of allergy, asthma, and immunology care—along with many other cutting-edge healthcare and treatment services—at three convenient locations. After opening in 2013, AAIR became the first board-certified allergy clinic in Charlotte to offer in-office infusion therapy, sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT), food desensitization, medical laser treatments, integrative medicine, acupuncture, and nutrition services. From diagnosis to treatment, Dr. O’Connor and her team handle some of the most complicated and rare immunological conditions, including primary immunodeficiency (PI), hereditary angioedema (HAE), PANDAS (now called post-infection Autoimmune Encephalitis or AE), and many more. Patients always come first at AAIR, and the clinic provides cost-effective, integrative, innovative, and individualized care for their needs—including telehealth visits and patientfocused educational events. AAIR offers a progressive and comprehensive approach for treatment while partnering with patients’ other healthcare providers to create a team focused solely on their health. AAIR’s exceptional staff includes board-certified allergists, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners, plus a fully trained professional team committed to advanced therapies. Always at the forefront, the practice now offers the only specialized diagnostic immunology lab in the region which accepts patients, upon referral, from all neighboring states. Dr. O’Connor continues to be nominated by her peers and patients as one of the most trusted experts in her field. She has been selected for the Best Doctors of America database since 2011, chosen for the North Carolina’s Best Doctors since 2010, and named a Top Doctor in Charlotte magazine since 2007. Dr. O’Connor and her team take pride in creating a family atmosphere in which the goal is for each patient to feel at home. “I am so fortunate to be able to care for patients. This has always been my calling and its importance has been underscored during the pandemic,” Dr. O’Connor says. “Next to being a mother, this is what I am most grateful for every single day.”

SEAN BUSHER IMAGERY

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Horizon Eye Care 6 Charlotte-area locations Cotswold Huntersville Mallard Creek Mooresville Pineville Waverly 704-365-0555 horizoneye.com

Throughout this past year, health and safety have become global priorities. While Horizon Eye Care’s singular focus is on the eyes, the overall well-being of our patients remains at the forefront of our practice. Joseph M. Biber, MD, president of the practice, says: “Though the pandemic has dominated the healthcare industry for the past year, Horizon has continued to stay on top of the latest treatment options for people who suffer from eye problems. Our doctors and staff continue to be dedicated to protecting our most important sense – sight.” Established in 1997, the practice includes 18 ophthalmologists and five optometrists, assisted by a staff known for compassion, respect and integrity. Horizon was named Top 25 in the U.S. for surgical excellence, and the practice continues to add the best and brightest in the eye care industry. Two new ophthalmologists will join the practice later this summer. Services at Horizon range from routine family and pediatric eye care to specialty services and surgeries for cornea, glaucoma, and retina conditions, as well as LASIK and cataract and laser-assisted cataract surgery. All locations also include a full-service optical center with the latest styles of eyeglass frames, prescription lenses and sunglasses for adults and kids as well as the most popular brands of contact lenses and accessories. Unlike many ophthalmology practices, Horizon also has an oculoplastics service offering surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures such as brow lift, blepharoplasty, dermal fillers and BOTOX®. Our practice has experienced and proven experts in aesthetic methods that repair the eyes and skin’s surface appearance. Horizon is expanding services with a new Retina Center in the Cotswold location. This comprehensive and high-tech clinic will provide retina patients with an elite medical experience. Horizon Eye Care physicians practice at six locations throughout Mecklenburg and Iredell counties.

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Southern Oncology Specialists William R. Mitchell, MD Jack D. Burton, MD Poras K. Patel, MD Caroline Heys, PA-C Xavier Harrison, PA-C Charlotte 10320 Mallard Creek Rd., Ste. 100 Charlotte, NC 28262 704-945-6843 Huntersville 10030 Gilead Rd., Ste. 290 Huntersville, NC 28078 704-947-5005 Denver 268 Gillman Rd., Ste. A Denver, NC 28037 704-659-7830 Mooresville 146 Medical Park Rd., Ste 212 Mooresville, NC 28117 704-659-7850 Pharmacy 704-659-7848 southernoncology.com

“Your Care Is Our Calling” Founded in 2010 by Dr. William Mitchell, Southern Oncology Specialists is a private oncology practice that provides advanced and personalized care for individuals and their families affected by cancer. As an independent practice, providers and staff have the ability to devote 100 percent of their time to patients, who they treat like family members with the utmost compassion and care. The physicians are all board certified, have exceptional diagnostic skills, and are expert at working with the most recent and effective technological advancements. They thoroughly explain the treatment plan to patients so they know exactly what to expect during every step of treatment. All members of the highly qualified staff genuinely care about patients. SOS provides patients with convenient access to multiple services at each of the practice’s four state-of-the-art offices in the Charlotte region, saving important time and expense. With a pharmacy and registered pharmacist on-site, SOS is the only independent oncology practice in North Carolina with a pharmacy certified by the Utilization Review Accreditation Commission (URAC). The practice also has scanners certified by the American College of Radiology (ACR), allowing patients to receive immediate results, and a full in-house laboratory that gives patients lab results the same or next day. Additionally, infusion suites are on-site, and the practice offers financial counselors to help patients navigate the insurance process. The practice’s personalized treatment plans address the whole individual, including the psychological and social aspects of the disease. In review after review, patients cite the professionalism, support and friendliness of the physicians and staff, who are devoted to helping them through this time in their life. “It is a difficult journey, but with Dr. Mitchell by my side, I always knew I would be taken care of,” one patient said. “He has become like family to me. I know it is because of his help that I was able to beat such an ugly disease. Dr. Mitchell and staff are wonderful and absolutely amazing!”

JESSICA JessicaMILLIGAN Milligan

special advertising section SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Led by double-board certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. Jonathan Kulbersh, Carolina

Led by double-board certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. Jonathan Kulbersh, Carolina Carolina Facial Carolina Facial Plastics Facial Plastics is the premier facial plastic surgery practice in the Charlotte area.Plastics As one of Facial Plastics is the premier facial plastic surgery practice in the Charlotte area. As one

the leading facial plastic surgeons in the country, Dr. Kulbersh provides life-changing natural of the leading facial plastic surgeons in the country, Dr. Kulbersh provides life-changing results at his practice’s brand-new, state-of-the-art facility in SouthPark. 6817 Fairview Rd. naturalFairview results atRd. his practice’s brand-new, state-of-the-art facility in SouthPark. 6817 Trained by top plastic surgeons in Beverly Hills, including Dr. Paul Nassif from the Trained by top plastic surgeons in Beverly Hills, including Dr. Paul Nassif from the Charlotte, NC 28210 Charlotte, NC 28210 TV series Botched, Dr. Kulbersh prides himself on making aesthetic improvements and TV series Botched, Dr. Kulbersh prides himself on making aesthetic improvements and rejuvenations that harmonize with your natural beauty. His practice is exclusively focused on rejuvenations that harmonize with your natural beauty. His practice is exclusively focused 704-275-3172 the face, allowing Dr. Kulbersh to provide specialized and exceptional facial care, and his goal 704-275-3172 on the face, allowing Dr. Kulbersh to provide specialized and exceptional facial care, and is to surpass your expectations and allow you to look like your unique self. carolinafacialplasticsurgery.com carolinafacialplasticsurgery.com his goal is to surpass your expectations and allow you to look like your unique self. Dr. Kulbersh and his warm, caring aesthetic specialists will make you feel right at home Dr. Kulbersh and his warm, caring aesthetic specialists will make you feel right at home and are committed to ensuring your safety and comfort during your treatments and recovery. and are committed to ensuring your safety and comfort during your treatments and That commitment is evident in every aspect of the practice, which includes an accredited recovery. That commitment is evident in every aspect of the practice, which includes an surgical suite for patients’ privacy and best care, as well as a luxurious overnight recovery accredited surgical suite for patients’ privacy and best care, as well as a luxurious overnight center for patients to recover after their procedure. recovery center for patients to recover after their procedure. Patients rave about the meticulous attention to detail at Carolina Facial Plastics during Patients rave about the meticulous attention to detail at Carolina Facial Plastics during procedures such as rhinoplasty, facelift, blepharoplasty, and facial implants, as well as Botox® procedures such as rhinoplasty, facelift, blepharoplasty, and facial implants, as well as and fillers. Among his many awards and honors, Dr. Kulbersh has been chosen as a Top 100 Botox® and fillers. Among his many awards and honors, Dr. Kulbersh has been chosen as a RealSelf Doctor four years in a row, is included in the RealSelf Hall of Fame, and a two time Top 100 RealSelf Doctor four years in a row, is included in the RealSelf Hall of Fame, and Charlotte Magazine’s Best of the Best Award recipient. a two time Charlotte Magazine’s Best of the Best Award recipient. Dr. Kulbersh believes it’s an honor and a privilege to serve as your doctor, and he treats his Dr. Kulbersh believes it’s an honor and a privilege to serve as your doctor, and he treats patients with the same care and respect he would give his own family. “Our goal at Carolina his patients with the same care and respect he would give his own family. “Our goal Facial Plastics is to help people create the best versions of themselves,” he says. “This is what at Carolina Facial Plastics is to help people create the best versions of themselves,” he we consider an excellent and natural result. At Carolina Facial Plastics, everything that we says. “This is what we consider an excellent and natural result. At Carolina Facial Plastics, do is all about you.” everything that we do is all about you.”

DARIUS EVANS

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REACH

Reproductive Endocrinology Associates of Charlotte Medical team Dr. Seth E. Katz – Medical Director Dr. Joseph G. Whelan, III Dr. Richard L. Wing Dr. Jack L. Crain – Research Director Dr. Tyl H. Taylor – IVF Lab Director Dr. Jennifer L. Patrick – Satellite IVF Lab Director Mid-level Providers Taylor Holt, PA Nicole Chappell, NP Ann Morris Merline, PA Psychology Dr. Eugenia Gullick Charlotte Fertility Clinic 1524 East Morehead St. Charlotte, NC 28207 704-343-3400 Lake Norman Fertility Clinic 105 Landings Dr., Ste. 202 Mooresville, NC 28117 704-343-3400 NorthCarolinaFertility.com

Since 1988, REACH (Reproductive Endocrinology Associates of Charlotte) has been the region’s leader in the treatment of fertility issues, providing patients with the highest quality of care and convenience. No other infertility group in the area offers REACH’s wealth of knowledge, expertise, state-of-the-art in vitro fertilization (IVF) lab, and embryology team under one roof. The practice’s infertility specialists—Dr. Seth E. Katz, Dr. Joseph G. Whelan, III, Dr. Richard L. Wing, Dr. Jack L. Crain, Dr. Tyl Taylor, Dr. Jennifer Patrick, Taylor Holt, PA, Nicole Chappell, NP, and Ann Morris Merline, PA—have more than 130 years of combined experience, are nationally recognized as leaders in the field of reproductive medicine, and provide the most compassionate and technologically advanced patient care. One of the largest reproductive endocrinology groups in the Southeast, REACH specializes in assisted reproductive technologies, including ovulation induction, intrauterine insemination, reproductive surgery, IVF, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), cryopreservation of sperm, eggs and embryos, as well as preimplantation genetic testing of embryos. The clinic also specializes in third party reproductive technologies, including egg donors, sperm donors, gestational surrogacy, and embryo adoption. Dedicated to the highest level of care and convenience, REACH physicians provide important schedule flexibility, always remaining sensitive to each patient’s sense of urgency when it comes to starting a family. They are available to accommodate each patient’s schedule and timing, plus they maintain a routine of meeting once a week to review cases and share their deep pool of knowledge. Not only do the physicians draw on decades of experience and expertise from each other, but the embryology team is a technological leader in the field. REACH was the first fertility center in North Carolina to offer vitrification (or freezing) of embryos and eggs—and that breakthrough has meant that cancer and fertility perseveration patients have options that weren’t previously available. Combining vast experience with cutting-edge technology, the clinic has achieved some of the highest pregnancy rates in the Southeast. With its compassionate care, individualized treatment plans, and the most cost-efficient options, REACH gives patients every conceivable chance for success.

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Oncology Specialists of Charlotte Justin Favaro, MD Nasfat Shehadeh, MD Hadley Spencer, FNP-C Natalie O’Kelly, FNP-C Brooke Davis, FNP-C, OCN Charlotte 2630 E. 7th St. Ste. 210 Charlotte, NC 28204 South Charlotte 7108 Pineville-Matthews Rd. Ste. 102 Charlotte, NC 28226 704-342-1900 oncologycharlotte.com

Oncology Specialists of Charlotte, a tight-knit team of dedicated clinicians, nurses, and administrative staff, is your home for cancer care in uptown and South Charlotte. Led by two board-certified medical oncologists and three experienced oncology nurse practitioners, OSC offers the most advanced cancer treatment options while treating every patient and loved one with compassion. The treatment provided exceeds the standard of care, that is family-oriented. We will often coordinate care with other specialists from Duke, UNC, Wake Forest, and other academic centers around the country. Last year, OSC was pleased to welcome Dr. Nasfat J. Shehadeh to the practice. Both Dr. Justin Favaro and Dr. Shehadeh have been voted a TOP DOCTOR in Charlotte magazine multiple times—and each was named a TOP DOCTOR 2021 for their expertise in “medical oncology.” OSC is an independent, physician owned practice and our services are not tied to hospital billing. We do not charge facility fees and quite often our out of pocket expenses are lower than those seen with hospital-based practices. The practice can also choose to customize a course of treatment and collaborate with specialists across different health care systems. OSC offers many of the elements of comprehensive cancer care at both of its convenient offices—infusion and injection therapy, laboratory testing, genomic testing such as Foundation Medicine, genetic testing, clinical trials, DigniCap for hair preservation, and immunotherapy for cancer treatments. Additionally, the practice’s care coordinators work with referring physicians to make appointments for patients within 24-48 hours on cancer cases. We take pride in offering the latest treatments and have many active clinical trials. We perform genetic tesing in the office, we also analyze each case for specific mutations in the DNA, so we can give the best tailored therapy possible. WE ARE YOUR HOME FOR ONCOLOGY CARE. We treat every patient and loved one with the same compassion and concern. We are like family to them, and they to us. “I transferred to Oncology Specialists of Charlotte approximately a year ago because I had randomly met patients who had expressed that the entire staff ‘saved their life,’” an OSC patient said. “There is truly no comparison to the level of care that I am currently receiving versus previously. All patients are treated like family! I highly recommend this practice.”

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Signature Healthcare Jordan D. Lipton, MD Elizabeth M. Perry, MD Marshall A. Silverman, MD Debra J. Gazzuolo, MD Michael J. Martin, MD Elizabeth I. Abernathy, MD Philip C. Lackey, MD Mary K. Hamid, MD SouthPark 6115 Park South Dr., Stes. 100 & 105 Charlotte, NC 28210 704-554-8787 SignatureHealthcare.org

Signature Healthcare has provided world-class executive and concierge healthcare in Charlotte for over 18 years as the Carolinas’ first concierge medical practice. Enjoy the benefits of personalized, executive-level care such as a low patient-to-doctor ratio, 24/7 access to physicians (even when traveling), minimal wait times, and comprehensive in-office services. Signature’s doctors are all board certified with an average of over 23 years of clinical practice. Throughout the course of the coronavirus crisis, Signature has remained available 24/7 to its patient-members; has been on the forefront of accurate testing, treatment and prevention; and will continue to provide acute and follow-up care for those affected by the pandemic. We are proud to welcome Dr. Mary K. Hamid to the Signature family. Dr. Hamid was born and raised in Mobile, Alabama and was accepted into the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Early Medical School Acceptance Program where she completed undergraduate and medical school in 6 years. She then completed her Internal Medicine Residency at UAB, and is board-certified in Internal Medicine. After residency in 2005, she moved to Charlotte to work for a large hospital-based practice until joining Signature Healthcare in 2021. If your healthcare has been downgraded by indifferent staff, long delays to see a doctor (or even an assistant), and abbreviated appointment times, you’re not alone. This is exactly what has driven the increasing popularity of concierge medicine and executive healthcare. “Our current medical system can be daunting for patients to navigate, and busy executives and individuals don’t have the time to devote to this, especially in the era of COVID-19. By emphasizing lifestyle and prevention, and partnering with each of our patients, we help keep them healthy, reduce frustration, and obtain the very best healthcare. We are available to guide and treat our patients whenever needed,” says Jordan Lipton, MD. Signature Healthcare is the difference between living and living well. Contact Signature today to explore membership and exclusive corporate wellness options, which can be customized to meet the specific needs of your business.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Dermatology Laser & Vein Specialists Of The Carolinas Charlotte Office 1918 Randolph Road Ste. 550 Charlotte, NC 28207 Pineville Office 10660 Park Road Ste. 4150 Charlotte, NC 28210 704-375-6766 carolinaskin.com

Dermatology Laser & Vein Specialists of the Carolinas (DLVSC) is the Carolinas’ premier dermatology and cosmetic surgery practice, offering advanced treatment options for general dermatology, Mohs skin cancer surgery, varicose vein treatments, laser/cosmetic surgery, and cutting-edge research studies. The award-winning practice focuses on providing excellence in skin care, from full body comprehensive skin examinations to management of complex skin rashes and skin cancer. “We are here for our patients. Our goal is to offer the latest in advanced medical and surgical dermatologic care for all our patients,” says Dr. Gilly Munavalli, medical director and founder. The practices house more than 50 FDA-approved lasers and energy-based devices for delivering all treatment options. With two office locations: Charlotte and Pineville, DLVSC offers everything from skin tightening and resurfacing to laser treatments for photo-aging or acne, as well as minimally invasive treatment options in the body contouring and liposuction. As always, all procedures are performed or supervised by their experienced, board-certified physicians. “Our team of expert physicians and highly trained staff skillfully craft tailored treatment plans; recommendations are designed especially for each patient’s lifestyle, budget, and goals,” Dr. Munavalli says. The highly skilled team includes six full-time providers: Dr. Gilly Munavalli, Dr. Payman Kosari, Valerie O’Connell, PA-C, Katherine Daley, PA-C, Aaron Blackmer, PA-C, and Rachel Guthridge, NP. DLVSC offers a general dermatology department, vein/vascular treatment center, cosmetic operative surgical suites, and a fully staffed cosmeceutical retail store that sells physician-grade, proven skin care products.

DARIUS EVANS

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Reproductive Specialists of the Carolinas Matrika D. Johnson, M.D. 1918 Randolph Rd., Ste. 210 Charlotte, NC 28207 704-247-2209 fertilitycarolinas.com

Led by Dr. Matrika Johnson, Reproductive Specialists of the Carolinas is a boutique fertility center that opened in November 2020. The center provides a state-of-the-art laboratory and highly personalized fertility care to patients through a wide-range of services such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), egg freezing, intrauterine insemination (IUI), and fertility assessments. Dr. Johnson is board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology as well as Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. Her practice is backed by a fully trained medical staff, professional services team, nurses and an embryologist with 22 years of experience. In less than six month of opening, the new fertility center has a successful IVF rate. In the fall of 2021, the center is expanding and opening a brand-new fertility lab with enhanced treatment offerings including oncofertility, embryo freezing, gestational surrogacy, and more. Reproductive Specialists of the Carolinas offers a level of care that is unmatched in the region. The mission of the practice is to treat each patient with the individualized care needed to start a family. Dr. Johnson recognizes that infertility can be overwhelming and is committed to guiding patients through each step of the process. Additionally, she is the only doctor meeting with patients at every appointment. “As a fertility patient myself, I care for my patients the same way I would want someone to care for me. I deliver a level of care that is extremely human and personal. We have a dialogue as if we were friends,” Dr. Johnson says. “Together, we work through your goals.” The practice is also committed to helping LGBTQIA+ individuals and couples achieve parenthood and offers a suite of services such as egg and sperm donation and gestational carrier resources. “I believe that everyone deserves the chance to have a family,” Dr. Johnson says. “I love helping others, creating families and fulfilling dreams.”

Restaurants YOUR GUIDE TO CHARLOTTE’S DINING SCENE

Dilworth ❤ 300 EAST

NEW LISTING

$-$$

NEW AMERICAN This old house-turned-restaurant serves creative sandwiches, salads, entrées, and allday Sunday brunch. 300 East Blvd. (704-332-6507) BR (Sun), L, D, BAR ✸☎

❤ BONTERRA

$$$$

NEW SOUTHERN Dine on modern Southern dishes in a historic Southern church. 1829 Cleveland Ave. (704333-9463) D, BAR ✸☎

CAPISHE

$-$$

ITALIAN Grab a margherita pizza or some linguini carbonara at this fast casual restaurant, which has a second location in SouthPark. 500 E. Morehead St., Ste. 100. (980-819-9494) L, D, BAR

❤ COPPER

$$$

INDIAN Ease into Indian cuisine with standard dishes like chicken tikka masala, or be more adventurous with the spicy seafood medley “anjeeri.” 311 East Blvd. (704-333-0063) L, D, V, BAR ✸☎

DOLCE OSTERIA

FERN, FLAVORS FROM THE GARDEN

ITALIAN This classic, cozy, family-run neighborhood trattoria serves a mix of fresh, regional Italian cuisine and a tidy, all-Italian wine list. 1710 Kenilworth Ave. (704-332-7525) L (weekdays), D, B/W ✸☎

KONNICHIWA

$$-$$$

ASIAN Choose from hibachi bowls, ramen, and a sushi menu with Charlotte-themed rolls. 1315 East Blvd., Ste. 130, (980-498-0420) L, D, V

LEBOWSKI’S NEIGHBORHOOD GRILL

AMERICAN Dishes at this neighborhood favorite include burgers, brats, and the popular “Beef on Weck.” 1524 East Blvd. (704-370-1177) L, D, BAR ✸

ZEN FUSION

PIZZA Owner Daniel Siragusa sticks by his Italian roots with personal pizzas you’ll polish off in one sitting. 1055 Metropolitan Ave., Ste. 130. (704-3700777) L, D, BAR ✸☎

FAT CAT BURGERS + BAKESHOP

$$-$$$

NEW SOUTHERN Chef Paul Verica’s menu reflects a respect of seasonal produce, with playful dishes such as “Asparagus—as many ways as we could think of,” and a more robust cocktail program. 1961 E. 7th St. (980-299-2741) D, BR (Sun), BAR ✸☎

INIZIO PIZZA NAPOLETANA

$$-$$$

KID CASHEW

MEDITERRANEAN This bright and rustic restaurant from the owner of Georges Brasserie serves meat family style from a wood-fired grill and a selection of small plates. 1608 East Blvd. (704-208-4148) L, D, BAR ✸

$ $$ $$$ $$$$

❤

Most entrées under $10 Most entrées $10-$17 Most entrées $18-$25 Most entrées $26 & up Best Restaurants

$$$

B BR L D V

$$$

CUBAN Enjoy lake views and authentic Cuban dishes like picadillo and mojo chicken with Yuca fries and sweet plantains. 637 Williamson Rd., Ste. 100 (704799-0875) BR, L, D, BAR ✸

$$-$$$

PIZZA Grab a table on the patio beneath the bistro lights and savor a wood-fired pizza with a bottle of wine. 2230 Park Rd. (704-900-0929) L, D, BAR ✸

FLATIRON KITCHEN + TAPHOUSE

$$$$

FIAMMA RESTAURANT

AMERICAN Owner Fran Scibelli reimagined the former Fran’s Filling Station to include burgers, fried chicken, and a walk-up window that serves handmade donuts. 2410 Park Rd. (704-372-2009) L, D, BAR ✸

$$$

STEAK HOUSE High-quality steaks are a given here, but the seafood and vegetables are treated with the same respect. 215 S. Main St., Davidson. (704-2373246) BR, L, D, BAR ✸☎

NEW AMERICAN Dine on upscale seafood, steaks, and pasta in a 1913 bungalow. 1601 E. 7th St. (704332-3322) D, BAR ✸☎

❤ THE STANLEY

❤ DRESSLER’S

$$-$$$

VEGETARIAN Fern moved from Plaza Midwood to Dilworth in mid-2016. It still has ferns on the wall, and the menu is still full of flavorful vegetarian cuisine. 1419 East Blvd., Ste. A. (704-377-1825) L, BR, D, V, BAR ✸

ITALIAN The open layout lends an air of conviviality to this slick eatery, which has house-made pastas, thin-crust pizzas, note-perfect risotto, and daring meat entrées. 2418 Park Rd. (704-333-3062) L, D, BAR ✸☎

NEW AMERICAN Dine on upscale steaks and Southern-inspired sides in a stylish, modern setting with a patio. A second location is in Birkdale Village. 8630-1A Lindholm Dr. (704-987-1779) D, BAR ✸☎

NEW AMERICAN Owner and executive chef Trey Wilson uses top-notch, seasonal ingredients to create fresh takes on American cuisine in a hip, rustic atmosphere. 1601 Elizabeth Ave. (704-333-3396) D, BAR ✸☎

❤ PIZZERIA OMAGGIO

ALIÑO PIZZERIA

$$$

CAJUN Nightly live jazz complements New Orleans creole favorites like shrimp étouffée and crawfish Diane in this century-old house. 1800 E. 7th St. (704-3779017) BR, D, BAR ✸☎

❤ THE FIG TREE RESTAURANT

Huntersville/Lake Norman PIZZA Enjoy your Neapolitan-style, wood-fired pizza at a community table with paper towels on hand to catch the drips from crust dipped in herbs and olive oil. A second location is at Concord Mills. 500 S. Main St., Ste. 401, Mooresville. (704-663-0010) L, D, B/W ✸

Elizabeth/Cherry

❤ CUSTOMSHOP

$-$$

FUSION Here, fusion means a sampling of dishes from the Far East and Spain. 1716 Kenilworth Ave. (704-358-9688) L (weekdays), D, BAR ✸☎

CAJUN QUEEN

SUNFLOUR BAKING CO.

BAKERY With locations in Dilworth, Harrisburg, and Ballantyne, Sunflour serves croissants, cinnamon buns, sandwiches, and soups. Regulars spend mornings here with a cup of coffee, letting them fade into afternoons. 2001 E. 7th St. (704-900-5268) B, L, D, V ✸

HAVANA 33

❤ HELLO, SAILOR

$$-$$$

❤ KINDRED

$$-$$$

NEW SOUTHERN Expect Carolina classics like fried catfish and seafood platters, as well as tiki drinks at Joe and Katy Kindred’s lakefront spot. 20210 Henderson Rd., Cornelius. (704-997-5365) BR, L, D, BAR ✸

NEW AMERICAN James Beard Award semifinalist Joe Kindred serves homemade pasta dishes and creative small plates in historic downtown Davidson. 131 N. Main St., Davidson. (980-231-5000) BR, L, D, BAR ✸☎

Breakfast Weekend brunch Lunch Dinner Vegetarian friendly

B/W Beer and wine only BAR Full-service bar ✸ Patio seating available Reservations suggested

☎

REVIEW POLICIES—The restaurants on these pages are recommendations of the editors of Charlotte magazine. They are not related to advertising in any way. Restaurant visits are anonymous, and all expenses are paid by the magazine. Reviews are written by members of the editorial staff. We regularly update these listings. New additions are denoted by “new listing” and revised reviews are indicated by “update.” JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

THE GUIDE SABI ASIAN BISTRO

ASIAN Find Asian-inspired dishes, from sushi to stir fry to sweet-and-sour chicken, in a sleek interior. 130 Harbor Place Dr., Davidson. (704-895-5707) L, D, BAR ✸

Matthews/Mint Hill KABAB-JE ROTISSERIE & GRILLE

MIDDLE EASTERN With a second location in Stonecrest, this Mediterranean and Lebanese spot serves dishes like hummus shawarma and lamb kabobs. 2233 Matthews Township Pkwy., Ste. E. (704-8450707) L, D ✸

NEW ZEALAND CAFÉ

$$$ - $$$$

SEAFOOD This NoDa “Baja seagrill” serves up the title dish as well as quesadillas, burritos, and salads in a fun, surf-themed atmosphere. 3201 N. Davidson St. (704-332-8868) L, D, BAR ✸

Myers Park/Cotswold $$

THAI This family-owned eatery offers takeout, but with its modern dining room and bright patio, you’ll want to settle into a table. 613 Providence Rd. (704333-7884) L (weekdays), D, BAR ✸

FENWICK’S

LEROY FOX

AMERICAN This Myers Park mainstay has served comfort food with warm service since the 1980s. 511 Providence Rd. (704-333-2750) BR, L, D, BAR ✸

SOUTHERN The casual eatery, known for its fried chicken and upscale pub grub, has an additional location in South End. 705 S. Sharon Amity Rd. (704-3663232) BR, L, D, BAR ✸

MAMA RICOTTA’S

ITALIAN Feast on Italian dishes inspired by owner Frank Scibelli’s family recipes. 601 S. Kings Dr. (704343-0148) L, D, BAR ✸☎

PROVIDENCE ROAD SUNDRIES

$-$$

AMERICAN Classic bar food and friendly service have made this a neighborhood hangout for generations. 1522 Providence Rd. (704-366-4467) L, D, BAR

❤ STAGIONI

$$$

ITALIAN Meaning “seasons,” this concept from Bruce Moffett serves handmade pastas, wood-fired pizzas, and slow-roasted meats. 715 Providence Rd. (704372-8110) D, BAR ☎

$-$$

PIZZA A full Benny P’s pie is 28 inches, almost double the standard—but if you divide it into eight slices, one is the ideal-sized meal for one person. 2909 N. Davidson St., Ste. 100. (980-949-8398) L, D, B/W

JAPANESE The excellence of this spot’s ramen and sushi carry over to the to-go format, with Yume’s InHome Ramen and Gyoza Kit among its innovations. 1369 Chestnut Ln., Matthews. (704-821-0676) L, D

DEEJAI THAI

NoDa/North Charlotte BAO + BROTH

CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

BENNY PENNELLO’S

CABO FISH TACO

CRÊPE CELLAR KITCHEN & PUB

$-$$

FRENCH The crêpes—both sweet and savory—are delicious, but the restaurant’s fare goes beyond its French roots with flavorful salads, entrées, and craft cocktails. 3116 N. Davidson St. (704-910-6543) BR, L, D, BAR

THE DUMPLING LADY

$-$$

ASIAN One of Charlotte’s most popular food trucks has a brick-and-mortar space in Optimist Hall. Order Zhang Qian’s authentic Sichuan dumplings, noodles, and dim sum, and brace for spice. 1115 N. Brevard St. (980-595-6174) L, D, V

EL THRIFTY

$-$$

MEXICAN The Mexican cantina and gaming venue in Optimist Hall serves creative tacos and cocktails with a side of duckpin bowling. 1115 N. Brevard St. (980949-7837) L, D, BAR ✸

THE GOODYEAR HOUSE

$$-$$$

NEW AMERICAN Grab a table in the botanist room or the open patio on a warm night, and enjoy elevated comfort food like smoked cashew mac and cheese and guinea hen stew. 3032 N. Davidson St. (704-910-0132) L, D, BAR ✸

❤ HABERDISH

$$-$$$

AMERICAN Southern appetizers, fried chicken, and apothecary cocktails from Colleen Hughes draw a hip crowd to this mill town Southern kitchen. 3106 N. Davidson St. (704-817-1084) BR, L, D, BAR ✸

HARRIET’S HAMBURGERS

HEIST BREWERY

$-$$

AMERICAN This is bar food to the extreme. Beer is incorporated into several dishes at this brewpub. The beer cheese is made with Heist’s own beer and served alongside pretzels made with leftover mash. 2909 N. Davidson St., Ste. 200. (704-375-8260) BR, L, D, BAR ✸

JACKBEAGLE’S

$-$$

FRENCH The food is far from colloquial here, and the exposed brickwork and antiqued tin roof lend credence to the French name. 165 N. Trade St., Matthews. (704-845-1899) D, BAR

❤ YUME BISTRO

$$$

ASIAN Follow the smell of ramen and steamed pork belly buns to this food stall, the fifth restaurant from chef Bruce Moffett, and have a seat among the other diners in Optimist Hall. 1115 N. Brevard St. (704-6252269) L, D

FUSION A wooden latticework ceiling and indoor trellis add charm to this neighborhood favorite, where sushi is fresh and affordable. 1717 Sardis Rd. N., Ste. 6A. (704-708-9888) L, D, B/W ✸

SANTÉ

VOLO RISTORANTE

ITALIAN Let the chef choose a meat, vegetable, or seafood flight for you, or order off the dinner menu and savor a plate of gnocchi, risotto, or tortellini paired with a glass of chianti. 1039 Providence Rd. (704-919-1020) D, BAR ☎

AMERICAN The burger joint with a pick-up window at Optimist Hall has a simple menu of hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and fries, but they get everything right. 1115 N. Brevard St., Ste. 6 L, D

AMERICAN A mainstay for the locals, this place serves unconventional bar bites like mac-and-blue-cheese with bacon. 3213 N. Davidson St. (704-334-5140) BR, L, D, BAR ✸

LEAH & LOUISE

SOUTHERN James Beard-nominated chef Greg Collier serves hot fried quail and dirty grits in a space modeled after a Memphis-style juke joint. 301 Camp Rd., Ste. 101 (980-309-0690) D, BAR ✸ ☎ NEW LISTING

ORTO ITALIAN KITCHEN

$$-$$$

ITALIAN Chef Paul Verica doesn’t go overboard with garnishes or presentation because he knows pizza and pasta don’t need to be fancy to be good. 416 E. 36th St. (980-938-0080) D, V, BAR ✸

PAPI QUESO

$-$$

ROOM AND BOARD

$-$$

AMERICAN Expect all the staples from the popular food truck, along with new grilled cheeses, mac and cheese, and melts from the brick-and-mortar location in Optimist Hall. 1115 N. Brevard St. (704-5791779) L, D, V

AMERICAN Inside a two-story Victorian home and former boarding house, have your choice of sandwiches, burgers, and wings, or come for Sunday brunch and get a “hangover pizza.” 3228 N. Davidson St. (980-4303136) BR (Sun), L, D, BAR

ROY’S KITCHEN & PATIO

CARIBBEAN Come to this neighborhood hangout for cornhole, ping-pong, and rotisserie chicken you can smell from down the street. 3112 N. Davidson St. (704910-2031) BR (Sun), D, BAR ✸

XIAO BAO

$-$$

ASIAN The Charleston-based joint serves Asian comfort food like savory Japanese pancakes and fried mochi from its stall at Optimist Hall. 1115 N Brevard St., Ste. 14 (980-309-0670) L, D, V

Plaza Midwood/East Charlotte ACE NO. 3

AMERICAN The new counter-service burger joint from the team behind Sea Level and the Waterman offers a straightforward menu of burgers, fries, and shakes. 1001 Belmont Ave. (704-910-2200) L, D, ✸

CILANTRO NOODLE

$-$$

COALTRANE’S

$-$$

VIETNAMESE Build your own meals include a base (banh mi, vermicelli noodles, white rice), one protein, and five toppings. 2001 Commonwealth Ave. (704345-9490) L, D, V, B/W ✸

AMERICAN Rotisserie chicken with South American-

inspired sides makes for a healthy and fast lunch or dinner. 1518 Central Ave. (980-265-1290) BR, L, D, BAR ✸

COMMON MARKET

DELI A neighborhood hangout with locations in South End and Oakwold, this market and deli serves quick and delicious sandwiches, local craft beers, snacks, sweets, and more. 2007 Commonwealth Ave. (704-334-6209) B, L, D, B/W ✸

DIAMOND RESTAURANT

$-$$

AMERICAN This 1950s-style diner features retro teal booths, a jukebox, and classic dishes like burgers, fried pork chops, and fried chicken. 1901 Commonwealth Ave. (704-375-8959) L, D, BAR ✸

DISH

$-$$

SOUTHERN A neighborhood joint with an eclectic clientele, good, down-home Southern food, and a funky wait staff. 1220 Thomas Ave. (704-344-0343) B, L, D, BAR ✸

❤ INTERMEZZO PIZZERIA & CAFÉ

$-$$

FUSION Even the pickiest eater can find something to order here, with menu options ranging from burgers and pizzas to cabbage rolls and stuffed peppers. 1427 E. 10th St. (704-347-2626) L, D, V, BAR ✸

LANG VAN

VIETNAMESE Regulars love this no-fuss spot for its authentic cuisine, with loads of flavor and fresh ingredients. 3019 Shamrock Dr. (704-531-9525) BR, L, D, V, B/W

LUPIE’S CAFE

AMERICAN The building, interior, and menu have barely changed since owner Lupie Duran opened in 1987. It’s an ideal spot for cold days, specializing in handmade burgers, four kinds of chili, meatloaf, and “chicken n dumplins.” 2718 Monroe Rd., (704-3741232) L, D, B/W

❤ MIDWOOD SMOKEHOUSE

BARBECUE With North Carolina pulled pork, beef brisket, smoked chicken, and dry or sauced ribs, there’s a ‘cue for everyone—and traditional sides to pair. Additional locations include Ballantyne, Birkdale Village, and Park Road Shopping Center.. 1401 Central Ave. (704-295-4227) L, D, BAR ✸

MOO & BREW

AMERICAN A playful list of burgers, craft beers, and friendly servers make this spot an easy choice for a casual dinner out. The patio is packed on nice nights. 1300 Central Ave. (980-585-4148) L, D, BAR ✸

SAL’S PIZZA FACTORY

PIZZA The New York slices at this east Charlotte joint have thick cheese and generous toppings—the classic style of pizza that fuels nostalgia and harkens back to a time when you didn’t know what calories or gluten were. 3723 Monroe Rd. (980-219-7108) L, D, BAR

❤ SOUL GASTROLOUNGE

NEW AMERICAN Expect to wait a while at this no-reservations spot, known for small plates like pork belly tacos with compressed watermelon, and a rotating list of craft cocktails. 1500-B Central Ave. (704-348-1848) D, BAR ✸

SNOOZE: AN A.M. EATERY

AMERICAN The Denver-based breakfast spot has a huge menu, but you’re free to mix and match. Choose any two benedicts with the Benny Duo, or get the Pancake Flight with three different flavors. There’s also a morning cocktail menu with mimosas, mojitos, and a dirty drunken chai. 1331-A Central Ave. (704-2435070) B, BR, L, BAR ✸

SUPPERLAND

$$$-$$$$

SOUTHERN The vibe is southern steakhouse-meetspotluck picnic, and dishes like wagyu pot roast and miso mac & cheese are all served family style. 1212 The Plaza (704-817-7514). D, V, BAR ✸

THREE AMIGOS

MEXICAN Enjoy authentic tinga de pollo and carne asada tacos at this Central Avenue staple. 2917A Central Ave., 704-536-1851. L, D, BAR ✸

THE WORKMAN’S FRIEND

$$-$$$

IRISH Enjoy Irish classics like fish and chips and shepherd’s pie in this rustic dining room, or grab a pint at the custom-built walnut bar. 1531 Central Ave. (980224-8234) BR, L (Fri-Sun), D, BAR ✸

YAMA IZAKAYA

JAPANESE Enjoy true, labor-intensive ramen, complete with add-ons like corn and pork belly, as well as traditional Japanese small plates and a sushi menu. 1324 Central Ave. (704-910-6387) D, V, BAR ✸

ZADA JANE’S CORNER CAFE

$-$$

SOUTHERN This funky neighborhood restaurant with shuffleboard courts, a large patio, and colorful walls serves breakfast and brunch all day. 1601 Central Ave. (704-332-3663) B, BR, L, BAR ✸

South End BARCELONA WINE BAR

$$$

NEW AMERICAN Nosh on Spanish and Mediterranean tapas and choose from over 400 wines. 101 W. Worthington Ave., Ste. 110. (704-741-0300) D, BAR ✸☎

❤ BARDO

$$$

NEW AMERICAN This foodie destination serves a rotation of seasonal small plates and creative cocktails. 1508 S. Mint St., Ste. B. (980-585-2433) D, BAR ☎

❤ BEEF ’N BOTTLE

$$$

STEAK HOUSE An old favorite, this steak house is just what you’d expect, serving up thick and juicy cuts in a dark interior. 4538 South Blvd. (704-523-9977) D, BAR

BREWERS AT 4001 YANCEY

AMERICAN In addition to craft beers, this LoSo brewery has Southern-inspired bar food like fries topped with jalapeño gravy and bacon crumbles. 4001-A Yancey Rd. (704-452-4001) BR (Sun), L, D, BAR ✸☎

THE DUNAVANT

$$$

STEAK HOUSE The signature steak and bottomless fries dinner, which includes bread, a choice of soup or salad, and the option of three sauces, tastes more expensive than its $25 fixed price. 2322 Dunavant St., Ste. 200. (980-335-0125) BR, D, BAR ✸

THE EAGLE FOOD & BEER HALL

AMERICAN Feast on fried chicken with a side of house made hot honey, plus comfort food sides like mac & cheese, collards, and hushpuppies. 2120 South Blvd., Ste. 1 (704-780-1570) D, BAR, ✸

EIGHT + SAND KITCHEN

AMERICAN The made-from-scratch bakery has sandwiches, salads, and artisan breads, plus pan-style and stone baked pizzas. 135 New Bern St. B, BR, L, B/W, D

❤ FUTO BUTA

JAPANESE This ramen house promises authenticity, irreverence, and delightful, salty bowls of the hot noodle soup. 222 E. Bland St. (704-376-8400) L, D, B/W ✸

ILIOS CRAFTED GREEK

$-$$

MEDITERRANEAN Get authentic Greek fare from the team behind Ilios Noche in a fast casual setting. Build a dish with your choice of roasted chicken, lamb, or pork, and chose from a rotation of sides like chickpea salad, Aegean slaw, and zucchini fritters. 1514 S. Church St. (980-237-1949) L, D ✸

INDACO

$$-$$$

ITALIAN Atherton Mill’s rustic Italian restaurant serves wood-fired pizzas and hand-crafted pastas, proving certain dishes are classics for a reason. 2046 South Blvd. (704-741-9004) L, D, BAR

LET’S MEAT KBBQ

$$$$

KOREAN BBQ Marinated meats at this all-you-caneat hangout come with Korean sides like steamed egg soufflé. 1400 S. Church St., Ste. B. (980-299-4389) L, D, (weekdays) BAR

LUNA’S LIVING KITCHEN

VEGETARIAN This vegan gem is known for its raw version of lasagna, made with zucchini noodles, sundried tomato sauce, mushrooms, and a cashew-basil cheese. Its juice bar is also a popular draw. 2000 South Blvd., Ste. 300. (704-333-0008) B, L, D, B/W, V ✸

MAC’S SPEED SHOP

$-$$

BARBECUE Solid barbecue and cold beer (150 choices) in a motorcycle-themed space draw fun-loving crowds, with additional locations in Matthews and Lake Norman. 2511 South Blvd. (704-522-6227) L, D, BAR ✸

MIDNIGHT DINER

MOCCO BISTRO

AMERICAN This 24-hour diner has all-day breakfast, plus burgers, fries, onion rings, and shakes. 115 E. Carson Blvd. (980-207-3641) B, L, D, B/W ✸

GREEK Despite the sounds of South Boulevard, the Greek pastries and coffees here can transport you to the Aegean Sea in just one taste. 4004 South Blvd., Ste. E. (980-207-0508) B, L, D, B/W ✸

NIKKO

$$-$$$

NORTH ITALIA

$$-$$$

JAPANESE Artistic sushi, a moody interior, and thumping sound system bring in dinner and late-night crowds, but quick service makes it a great lunch spot. 325 Arlington Ave., Ste. 108. (704-370-0100) L (weekdays), D, BAR ✸☎

ITALIAN Head to the ground floor of the RailYard for a JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

THE GUIDE dressed-up entree like squid ink mafaldine, or get the basic spaghetti and meatballs, which is good every time. 1414 S. Tryon St., Ste. 140 (980-279-8900) BR, L, D, BAR ✸

O-KU

$$-$$$

SUSHI This chic South End night spot serves exquisite sushi and Asian-inspired dishes, plus sake, beer, and cocktails. 2000 South Blvd., Ste. 510. (704-594-1922) D, BAR ☎

PRICE’S CHICKEN COOP

SOUTHERN Expect to eat your meal standing up—or sitting in your car—but rest assured it’s the best damn fried chicken in the country. 1614 Camden Rd. (704333-9866) L, D (until 6 p.m.), Cash only. No seating.

RAI LAY THAI CUISINE

THAI Upscale Thai food in a sleek interior with attentive service makes this a fitting spot for South End. 1520 South Blvd., Ste. 130. (980-207-0991) L (MonSat), D, BAR ☎

SEOUL FOOD MEAT CO.

FUSION This hip spot fuses traditional American barbecue with Korean flavors all the way to the sides, which include ramen mac-and-cheese. 1400 S. Church St., Ste. A. (980-299-5143) L (weekends), D, BAR ✸

SOUTHBOUND

$-$$

BAJA The breezy vibes and bright flavors at this taco joint call for a Pacifico or a margarita. 2433 South Blvd. (704-912-1889) BR, L, D, BAR ✸

SUPERICA

$$-$$$

TEX-MEX Atlanta chef Ford Fry brings the newest location of his Tex-Mex concept, with tacos, fajitas, and enchiladas, to the Design Center. 101 W. Worthington Ave., Ste. 100 (980-321-9914) BR, L, D, BAR ✸

THE WATERMAN FISH BAR

$$-$$$

SEAFOOD This oyster bar has all the staples: lobster rolls, clam chowder, and oysters four ways. 2729 South Blvd., Ste. D. (704-275-5558) L, D, BAR ✸

VANA

$$$

NEW AMERICAN Chef Michael Noll serves a blend of tapas and shareable plates in this open kitchen spot with a wood-fired theme. Don’t miss the quail with Tandoori marinade, buttermilk, and chili oil. 1440 S. Tryon St., Ste. 100. (980-819-5913) BR, D, BAR ☎

South Charlotte $$

AMERICAN This spot serves up hearty portions of diner staples, such as meatloaf and fresh-roasted turkey clubs, all made in-house. 16637 Lancaster Hwy. (704544-0313) B, L, D, BAR ✸

CIVETTA ITALIAN KITCHEN + BAR

$$-$$$

ITALIAN Feast on snapper picatta, penne alla Civetta, and scallops risotto, and save room for a lasagna-sized piece of tiramisu for dessert. 7828-E Rea Rd. (980-3352758) BR (Sun), L, D, V, BAR ✸

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$$-$$$

THE FLIPSIDE CAFÉ

FLIPSIDE RESTAURANT

$$$-$$$$

$$$

$$$-$$$$

STEAK HOUSE Settle in for thick-cut steaks, hearty sides, and a craft cocktail. 7417 Waverly Walk Ave. (704930-7878) D, BAR ✸☎

RED ROCKS CAFÉ

$$-$$$

AMERICAN Consistently good pasta, seafood, and steak make this restaurant a mainstay in the Strawberry Hill shopping center. Additional locations are in Indian Land and Birkdale Village. 4223 Providence Rd., Ste. 8 (704-364-0402) BR (Sun), L, D, V, BAR ✸

RED SAKE

$$-$$$

JAPANESE This is sushi for true sushi aficionados. The Luke Lobster roll is a delectable mouthful of lobster meat, spicy tuna, avocado, and eel sauce topped with sweet potato strings. 8410 Rea Rd., Ste. 100 (980-4981578) L, D, BAR ✸

SPICE ASIAN KITCHEN

$$-$$$

ASIAN The dumplings and pad Thai are consistently good, but the bibimbap, bossam, and curry dishes are made for adventurous palates. 251 Textile Way, Fort Mill. (803-548-6868) L, D, V, BAR ✸

GERMAN Family-friendly Waldhorn offers authentic German dishes in a Bavarian-style setting. 12101 Lancaster Hwy., Pineville. (704-540-7047) BR (Sun), L, D, BAR ✸

WHAT THE FRIES

BAKU

$$-$$$

ITALIAN Find comfort food like spaghetti and house meatballs and lasagna, or savor some squid ink linguini and a glass of pinot grigio on the patio. 16646 Hawfield Way Dr., Ste. 101 (704-716-9400) L, D, BAR ✸

THE PORTER’S HOUSE

$$-$$$

JAPANESE Black and red decor, delicious sushi, techno beats, and a large pair of geisha eyes staring out at the crowd make for a dramatic setting in this shared-plates restaurant. 4515 Sharon Rd. (704-817-7173) D, BAR ☎

NEW AMERICAN Inside the Ballantyne hotel, you’ll find Southern-inspired, white-tablecloth dining with dishes sourced from local farmers. 10000 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy. (704-248-4100) B, BR, L, D, BAR

OGGI RISTORANTE ITALIANO

❤ BAR MARCEL

$$-$$

NEW SOUTHERN This sister restaurant of Flipside Café has a more formal and spacious dining room, which fits with its elevated menu. 129 Caldwell St., Rock Hill. (803324-3547) BR, L, D, V, BAR ☎

GALLERY RESTAURANT

SouthPark/Park Road FUSION The menu features shareable plates of beef carpaccio or truffle and herb frittes—but order a flatbread pizza for yourself. 3920 Sharon Rd., Ste. 160. (980-237-1919) L, D, BAR ✸☎

NEW SOUTHERN Chefs Jon and Amy Forte make you feel right at home, but the food lets you know it ain’t your mama in the kitchen. 3150 Hwy. 21 N., Fort Mill. (803-802-1711) B, BR, L, D, B/W ☎

WALDHORN

(Arboretum, Ballantyne, Pineville, Fort Mill) BIG VIEW DINER

THE BLUE TAJ

INDIAN The sister restaurant of Copper has contemporary decor and a sharply dressed wait staff delivering Indian dishes to each table. 14815 Ballantyne Village Way., Ste. 170. (704-369-5777) L, D, V, BAR ✸

$-$$

AMERICAN Order food truck favorites like Shrimp and Steak Hibachi Fries and Lobster Mac and Cheese Fries in the team’s first brick-and-mortar restaurant. 10707 Park Road, Ste. R. (704-774-7517) L, D

❤ BARRINGTON’S

$$$-$$$$

NEW AMERICAN Feast on deconstructed sushi, tagliatelle, and fois gras, or get the roasted chicken that’s been on the menu since Chef Bruce Moffett opened this spot more than 20 years ago. 7822 Fairview Rd. (704-364-5755) D (Mon-Sat), BAR ☎

CAFÉ MONTE

$$-$$$

FRENCH Enjoy duck confit pizza, mussels and frites, and café au lait in a charming French bistro setting. 6700 Fairview Rd. (704-552-1116) B, L, D, BAR ✸☎

CANTINA 1511

MEXICAN This easy, casual spot draws crowds for its fresh takes on Mexican cuisine and fine margarita list. 4271 Park Rd. (704-331-9222) L, D, V, BAR ✸☎

❤ DOGWOOD SOUTHERN TABLE + BAR

$$$

❤ DOT DOT DOT

$$$

NEW SOUTHERN Ingredients are fresh and cocktails are innovative at this spot, a sister to Dressler’s. 4905 Ashley Park Ln., Ste. D. (704-910-4919) BR (Sun), L, D, BAR ☎

NEW AMERICAN Stefan Huebner’s creative cocktails may be the main attraction at this members-only speakeasy, but chef Corey Dawson’s sweet seared scallops with roasted mushroom risotto will convince you to stay for dinner. 4237 Park Rd., Ste. B. (704-8173710) D, BAR

EASY LIKE SUNDAY

AMERICAN The fried chicken and cornmeal pancakes are worth standing in line for, but if you’d rather skip the weekend rush, go in the evening and have a boozy brunch after dark. 1600 E. Woodlawn Rd., Ste. 100. (980-335-2428) B, BR, L, D, BAR ✸

❤ FLOUR SHOP

$$$

ITALIAN Watch your pasta get prepared in the open kitchen. Chef Trey Wilson’s shared plates are great for larger groups, but if you don’t want to share, get the lamb Bolognese. 530 Brandywine Rd. (980-299-3754) D, BAR ☎

FINE & FETTLE

$$-$$$

AMERICAN Chef Daniel Wheeler makes culinary art at this homey restaurant inside the Canopy by Hilton. Feast on pork cheeks with edamame, a fried hen sandwich, or splurge on a fried PB&J with black pepper sorbet. 4905 Barclay Downs Dr. (704-552-1715) B, BR, L, D, BAR ✸

❤ GOOD FOOD ON MONTFORD $$-$$$

Southern Pecan's Fried Shrimp Po' Boy with a side of baked mac and cheese.

NEW AMERICAN Bruce Moffett’s small-plates bistro unites a variety of influences and flavors onto one menu, and each dish is worth ordering. 1701 Montford Dr. (704-525-0881) D, BAR ☎

HARPER’S RESTAURANT

AMERICAN Jazzed-up American cuisine makes Harper’s a place to take out-of-town guests with varying palates. 6518 Fairview Rd. (704-366-6688) BR (Sun), L, D, BAR ✸

HIBISCUS

$-$$

ASIAN Roger and Robert Kongham, the sons of Thai Taste’s owners, serve creamy curries, Thai classics, and sushi in a more formal dining room. 1600 E. Woodlawn Rd., Ste. 150. (980-256-4380) L, D, BAR

LEGION BREWING

$$-$$$

AMERICAN Unlike its flagship location in Plaza Midwood, the SouthPark brewery serves more than typical bar snacks. Chef Gene Briggs cooks pork belly gyros, duck fat chicken wings, and a full Sunday brunch. 5610 Carnegie Blvd. (980-256-4167) BR, L, D, BAR ✸

LITTLE MAMA’S ITALIAN KITCHEN

$$-$$$

ITALIAN Settle in to one of the dining rooms with a plate of pappardelle or cozy up at the “Mozz Bar” and watch the chefs at work. 4521 Sharon Rd. (980-2090323) D, BAR

OAK STEAKHOUSE

$$$$

STEAK HOUSE Chef Tyler Honeycutt aces steakhouse classics like ribeye or filet, and be sure to save room for some lemon olive oil cake for dessert. 4477 Sharon Rd., Ste 125. (704-954-8900) D, BAR ☎

PACO’S TACOS & TEQUILA

MEXICAN Choose from 10 varieties of tacos and more than 60 types of tequila. 6401 Morrison Blvd., Ste. 8A. (704-716-8226) L, D, V, BAR ✸

❤ PEPPERVINE

$$$$

FUSION Chef Bill Greene serves a rotation of artistic small plates with unexpected pairings, like lamb belly with kimchi porridge and smoked butternut squash with miso. 4620 Piedmont Row Dr., Ste. 170B. (980283-2333) D, V, BAR ✸☎

REID’S FINE FOODS

$$-$$$

NEW AMERICAN Stellar service and a reliable menu have earned this market and restaurant a loyal following. 4331 Barclay Downs Dr. (704-377-7686) BR, L, D, BAR ✸

RH ROOFTOP RESTAURANT

$$$-$$$$

AMERICAN Order standard (but upscale) American fare like lobster rolls, truffled grilled cheese, and ribeye steak. 6903 Phillips Place Ct. (704-790-4970) BR, L, D, V ☎

PETER TAYLOR

ROASTING COMPANY

AMERICAN Since adding a full bar, Roasting Company fits in more comfortably with the Montford Drive scene but still sets the standard for rotisserie chicken. 1521 Montford Dr. (704-521-8188) L, D, BAR ✸

ROCKSALT

$$$-$$$$

SEAFOOD Grab a table on the patio and enjoy the daily catch or fresh oysters from the raw bar. 512 Brandywine Rd. (704-503-9945) BR, L (weekends), D, BAR

✸☎

❤ ROOSTER’S WOOD-FIRED KITCHEN

$$-$$$

NEW SOUTHERN Feast on Southern-tinged American and European peasant fare like hand-tossed pizzas and roasted chicken. A second location is in uptown. 6601 Morrison Blvd. (704-366-8688) L, D, V, BAR ☎

SIR EDMOND HALLEY’S

AMERICAN This pub, named for the astronomer and mathematician, serves its entire menu until closing at 2 a.m. 4151 Park Rd., Ste. A. (704-525-7775) L (weekdays), D, BAR ✸

SOUTHERN PECAN

$$-$$$

SOUTHERN The team behind Café Monte serves Gulf Coast-inspired cuisine like pecan fried catfish, Louisianna barbecue shrimp, and oyster po’ boys. 6705-C Phillips Place Ct., Ste. C (704-749-2949) L, D, BAR ✸

STEAK 48

$$$$

TAQUERIA MAL PAN

$$-$$

STEAK HOUSE Steak is the main attraction, but don’t miss the crispy shrimp deviled eggs, corn crème brulée, and seafood tower. 4425 Sharon Rd. (980-5804848) D, BAR ☎

MEXICAN Pace yourself with the chips and guacamole because the California burrito is the best burrito you’ll have in Charlotte—spoiler alert: it has French fries inside. 4625 Piedmont Row Dr., Ste. 115-D (980298-6138) BR, L, D, BAR ✸

TOSCANA

YAMA ASIAN FUSION

FUSION This upscale Japanese restaurant with a second location in Waverly has sushi, hibachi, and Asianinspired entrees. 720 Governor Morrison St., Ste. 130. (70s4-295-0905) L (Mon-Sat), D, BAR ✸☎

University Area AMALFI PASTA ’N PIZZA

ITALIAN The only other places where Italian food is this real, this good, and this cheap are called trattorias, and you have to take a plane to get to them. 8542 University City Blvd. (704-547-8651) L, D, B/W ✸

FIREWATER

$$-$$$

AMERICAN The food here is primarily American bistro-style, but the owner’s family tuna business makes apps like the tuna tartare standouts. 8708 J. W. Clay Blvd. (704-549-0050) L (weekends), D, BAR ✸

ZAPATA’S CANTINA

MEXICAN Expect typical Mexican fare in a high-energy dining room, with an additional location in Ballantyne. 8927 J.M. Keynes Dr., in University Place shopping center. (704-503-1979) L, D, BAR

Uptown 204 NORTH

$$$

NEW SOUTHERN This uptown spot with modern Southern food is best for cocktails and conversation at the bar. 204 N. Tryon St. (704-333-3747) BR, L, D, BAR ☎

NEW AMERICAN Top Chef alum Jamie Lynch’s innovative, seasonal menu includes morel mushroom flatbread and mint crusted lamb loin. 127 N. Tryon St., Ste. 8. (704-919-1322) BR, L, D, BAR ☎

ITALIAN An authentic northern Italian menu is paired with an extensive wine list, while courtyard dining adds to the experience on a nice night. 6401 Morrison Blvd., Ste. 6B. (704-367-1808) L (weekdays), D, BAR ✸☎

YAFO KITCHEN

serves Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean-inspired fare in a wrap, salad, or grain bowl. 720 Governor Morrison St., Ste. 120. (704-365-7130) L, D, B/W ✸

MEDITERRANEAN With additional locations in Dilworth and Plaza Midwood, this fast-casual concept

❤ 5CHURCH

$-$$$

JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

101

❤ ALEXANDER MICHAEL’S

$$ -$$$

AMERICAN The blackened catfish is cooked just right, the Cajun pasta is piping hot, and chatter fills the no-reservations dining room. 401 W. 9th St. (704-332-6789) L, D, BAR

❤ ANGELINE’S

$$$

ITALIAN The Italian-inspired entreés at this uptown spot are all excellent, and the whipped ricotta with sourdough, lavender honey, and pistachio is the most imaginative appetizer on the menu. 303 S. Church St. (704-445-2540) B, BR, L, D, V, BAR ✸☎

❤ ARIA TUSCAN GRILL

$$$

ITALIAN This trendy uptown spot has high-end Italian dishes with a sophisticated wine program to match. 100 N. Tryon St. (704-376-8880) L (weekdays), D, BAR ☎

❤ THE ASBURY

$$$

NEW SOUTHERN Chef Mike Long’s inventive menu mixes countryside favorites like biscuits and deviled eggs with bold flavors and contemporary techniques. 235 N. Tryon St. (704-342-1193) B, BR, L, D, BAR ☎

BASIL THAI

$$-$$$

THAI Satisfy your pad Thai craving, or try more daring dishes like crispy red curry duck. 210 N. Church St. (704-332-7212) L (weekdays), D, V, BAR ☎

THE CELLAR AT DUCKWORTH’S

$$-$$$

NEW AMERICAN The focus is on small plates, craft beer served in its proper glassware at proper temperature, and craft cocktails. 330 N. Tryon St. (980349-4078) D, BAR ☎

CLOUD BAR BY DAVID BURKE

AMERICAN Grab a seat on the rooftop patio, sip on a Queen City cocktail, and order the maple glazed bacon clothesline. The presentation is exactly as it sounds. 555 S. McDowell St. (980-2375356) D, BAR ✸

COCO + THE DIRECTOR

AMERICAN Marriott introduced this coffee and sandwich shop for locals and hotel guests alike to have a comfortable, casual dining option. 100 W. Trade St. (704-353-6003) B, L, D, B/W

COWBELL BURGER & BAR

AMERICAN This sister restaurant to Leroy Fox has a trendy, pop-culture vibe—and a roster of fancy burgers (including a foie gras-topped offering for $20). 201 N. Tryon St., Ste. 1010. (980-224-8674) L, D, BAR

DANDELION MARKET

$$-$$$

NEW AMERICAN On weekends, this Irish pub turns into one of uptown’s hottest nightlife spots. But during the day, come for a cozy meal with flickering candles and shared plates. 118 W. 5th St. (704333-7989) BR, L, D, BAR

ESSEX BAR & BISTRO

$$-$$$

GLOBAL Order a few tapas and a bottle of wine, head to the patio, and watch the activity on Trade and Tryon. 101 S. Tryon St., Ste. 14. (980-406-3857) L, D, BAR ✸☎

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FAHRENHEIT

$$$-$$$$

NEW AMERICAN Located on the 21st floor of Skye Condos, chef Rocco Whalen’s restaurant is the place in Charlotte to eat a meal and see the city twinkle. 222 S. Caldwell St. (980-237-6718) BR, D, BAR ✸☎

❤ FORCHETTA

$$-$$$

ITALIAN Chef Luca Annunziata serves lasagna just like his mom made it and carbonara as it’s served in Rome. 230 North College St. (704-602-2750) B, L, D, BAR ☎

❤ FIN & FINO

NEW LISTING

$$-$$$

$$$-$$$$

$$$

ITALIAN Savor modern, Northern Italian cuisine in a sophisticated setting with a patio. 214 N. Tryon St., Ste. J, in Hearst Plaza. (704-344-9222) L (weekdays), D, BAR ✸☎

MALABAR SPANISH CUISINE

SPANISH This sister restaurant to Luce serves authentic regional cuisine from Spain for lunch and dinner. 214 N. Tryon St. (704-344-8878) L (weekdays), D, BAR ✸☎

❤ McNINCH HOUSE

$$$$

NEW SOUTHERN Guests order from a daily prix fixe menu (ranging from five to nine courses), choose their wine and entrées, and the staff takes care of the rest. 511 N. Church St. (704-332-6159) D, BAR ☎

MERT’S HEART AND SOUL

$-$$

SOUTHERN James Bazzelle’s pride and joy serves down-home Southern cooking, with a dash of Lowcountry, in a downtown-feeling place. 214 N. College St. (704-342-4222) BR, L, D,B/W ✸

MICO

$$-$$$

❤ SEA LEVEL NC

$$-$$$

$$$ - $$$$

FRENCH Enjoy ratatouille, steak frites, crispy duck confit, and decadent desserts in this space modeled after a Parisian brasserie. 300 S. Tryon St., Ste. 100 (980-209-0941) L, D, V, BAR

LUCE

MOA KOREAN BBQ

SEAFOOD Bring a few hungry friends and settle in with the three-tier seafood tower. 129 E. 5th St. (704-412-2616) L, D, BAR ✸☎

SOUTHERN Chef Jim Noble’s restaurant, which serves traditional Southern fare, donates profits to faith-based feeding centers and employs troubled youth and people who have just come out of rehab or prison. 129 W. Trade St. (704-375-1990) L, (weekdays) D, B/W, ✸☎

LA BELLE HELENE

$$$

NEW SOUTHERN Enjoy locally and seasonally inspired dishes from North Carolina chef William Dissen in this bright, stylish space next to Romare Bearden Park. 225 S. Poplar St. (704-626-6116) BR, D, BAR ✸☎

THE KING’S KITCHEN

MIMOSA GRILL

NEW SOUTHERN This popular after-work spot has a seasonal menu, friendly service, tasty seafood dishes, and creative mixtures to top grits. 327 S. Tryon St. (704-343-0700) BR, L (weekdays), D, BAR ✸☎

KOREAN BBQ You can order Korean tacos and kimchi bulgogi nachos a la carte, but the tabletop barbecue is the main attraction. Watch your server cook beef brisket and pork belly as you sip a craft cocktail. 128 S. Tryon St. (704-503-9412) L, D, V, BAR ✸

SEAFOOD Come for the raw bar, but stay for bartender Brittany Kellum’s drinks. Then splurge on a slice of cheesecake. 135 Levine Avenue of the Arts, Ste. 100. (704-800-5680) L, D, BAR ✸☎

❤ HAYMAKER

creamed spinach and brown butter bread crumbs. 201 W. Trade St. (980-999-5550) L, D, BAR

$$$-$$$$

ARGENTINEAN The South American-inspired menu has unexpected food mash-ups like harissa

SOHO BISTRO

ASIAN Lightning-fast, friendly service complements hot, savory Chinese favorites such as Sha Cha Shrimp and Mongolian Chicken. 214 N. Tryon St., Ste. 110. (704-333-5189) L, D, B/W

❤ STOKE

$$$

NEW AMERICAN Hotel dining gets an upgrade with this wood-fired-grill, family style concept in Marriott City Center. 100 W. Trade St. (704-353-6005) B, BR, L, D, BAR

West/Northwest Charlotte COMMUNITY TABLE BISTRO

SOUTHERN At the Goodwill Opportunity Campus, a small, cafeteria-style restaurant sears, bakes, and fries comfort food on a daily rotation for an affordable price. 5301 Wilkinson Blvd. (980-636-1000) B, L (weekdays), V ✸

ESTIA’S KOUZINA

$$-$$$

❤ HEIRLOOM RESTAURANT

$$-$$$

GREEK Come to this upscale Mediterranean restaurant for gyro pitas, lamb burgers, and hearty salads. 609 N. Main St., Belmont. (704-825-7005) BR, L, D, V, BAR ✸☎

NEW AMERICAN Ingredients are sourced almost exclusively from North Carolina, and the tasting menu includes fried chicken and pork and beans. 8470 Bellhaven Rd. (704-595-7710) D, V, BAR ☎

❤ NOBLE SMOKE

$-$$

BARBECUE Feast on Carolina-style pork and Texasstyle brisket, or head next door to Bossy Beulah’s for a fried chicken sammie and some Cheerwine. 2216 Freedom Dr. (704-703-5252) L, D, BAR ✸☎

PINKY’S WESTSIDE GRILL

AMERICAN Housed in an old auto shop, this funky spot serves great burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, and salads, as well as tasty sides like waffle fries. 1600 W. Morehead St. (704-332-0402) L, D, BAR ✸

Charlotte magazine (ISSN 1083-1444) is published monthly by Morris Communications at 214 W. Tremont Ave., Suite 303, Charlotte NC 28203-5161. Entire contents Copyright © 2021 by Morris Communications. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Periodicals postage paid in Charlotte, NC and additional offices. To subscribe, renew, or change address, go to www.charlottemagazine.com or write to: Charlotte magazine, 214 W. Tremont Ave., Suite 302, Charlotte NC 28203-5161. Subscription rate $19.95 for one year (twelve issues). For renewal or change of address, include the address label from your most recent issue. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Charlotte, P.O. Box 433237, Palm Coast, FL 32143-9616. Unsolicited photographs, illustrations, or articles are submitted at the risk of the photographer/artist/author. Charlotte magazine assumes no liability for the return of unsolicited materials and may use them at its discretion.

THE GUIDE

New Breweries East Charlotte EDGE CITY BREWERY 6209 Old Post Rd., Ste. 109 980-949-6199 edgecitybrewery.com VAULTED OAK BREWING 3726 Monroe Rd. vaultedoakbrewing.com

North Charlotte FREE RANGE CAMP NORTH END 301 Camp Rd., Ste. 100 980-201-9096 freerangebrewing.com

A directory of recently opened spots

PETTY THIEVES BREWING COMPANY 413 Dalton Ave., Ste. B pettythievesbrewing.com

South End PROTAGONIST LOSO 227 Southside Dr. 980-209-0735 protagonistbeer.com

Wesley Heights TRAUST BREWING COMPANY Only available via online store, bottle shops, and

pop-ups right now traustbrewing.com

Denver

Belmont BELMONT BREWING CO. 1500 River Dr., Belmont 980-483-3740 belmontbrewingcompany. net PRIMAL BREWERY BELMONT 52 Ervin St., Belmont 704-829-3816 primalbrewery.com

CROSSWORD OF THE MONTH

ROYAL BLISS BREWING 7532 Waterside Peak Dr., Denver 704-951-8388 royalblissbrewing.com

Fort Mill 1873 BREWING 415 Tom Hall St,, Fort Mill 1873brewing.com LITTLE YORK BREWING 1029 Spratt St. B, Fort Mill 704-326-1344 littleyorkbrewing.com

Lake Norman LAKE NORMAN BREWERY 1753 Triangle Circle, Denver 980-525-5562 lknbrewery.com LOST WORLDS BREWING 19700-D, One Norman Blvd., Cornelius 980-689-2467 lostworldsbeer.com

Lake Wylie MODEL A BREWING 1177 Stonecrest Blvd. 803-547-8595 modelabrewing.com

BY ANDY SMITH

ANSWERS can be found online at charlottemagazine.com/crossword. JULY 2021 // CHARLOTTE

103

YOU ARE HERE Each month, we’ll throw a dart at a map and write about where it lands. LOCATION: 9813 South Blvd.

d. uth Blv 9813 So

Paradise and a Parking Lot

“TRANQUILITY” and “transportation” are rarely uttered in the same sentence. But both apply to this spot, where the Little Sugar Creek Greenway kisses the Carolina Pavilion shopping center and winds past two of Charlotte’s mosttraveled thoroughfares: South Boulevard and Interstate 485. Bird chirps compete with the whoosh of cars and trucks that pass at 70 mph. Walkers, bikers, and joggers leave their cars in the massive suburban parking lot and set out toward a red metal bridge that

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CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JULY 2021

connects to the greenway. A towering highway retaining wall drowns out the sound of traffic. Once over the bridge, a riot of yellow wildflowers blooms along the creek in brilliant juxtaposition to the chaos on the asphalt. This is the southern terminus of the 2.2-mile greenway section that runs from Huntingtowne Farms Park to 485, so all the action is headed in one direction: north. A biker pulls over to examine a sign that shows the next phase under con-

struction—an extension of the greenway to the south, toward the President James K. Polk Historic Site in Pineville. He turns his bike around as a truck driver blows his horn on the other side of the highway wall. Two dogs bark as their owners walk past each other. Each gives the other (and the dogs) space. A blind man with a walking stick strolls silently alongside his partner. What sounds does he focus on in this moment, in a space whose dimensions and diversions he can’t see? —Cristina Bolling

SHAW NIELSEN; CRISTINA BOLLING

A retaining wall is all that divides a highway from a slice of natural bliss

4521 Sharon Rd, Charlotte, NC 28211

(704) 532-9041

Ofﬁcial Jeweler of the Carolina Panthers

Charlotte Magazine July 2021

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