Charlotte Restaurant News and Reviews

When the guys who have Nolen Kitchen and ilios noche say they've always wanted to do a diner, believe them. Partners Stratos Lambos and Angelo Kaltsounis both come from family-diner backgrounds and this fall, you'll see their take on one in south Charlotte: The Big View Diner and Sports Lounge.

Expect “classic dishes, with real chefs running the kitchen, not kitchen managers running large quantities,” says Lambos. The place will be some 8,500 square feet, with sports bar area and patio, south of I-485 on Johnston Road.

And the food? Veal meatloaf with mashed potatoes, fried chicken, Vietnamese spring rolls, “our version of a chicken club” (marinated breast on focaccia with pesto, provolone and smoked bacon), reuben sandwiches with house-corned beef, a milkshake station, breakfast dishes offered all day, a display case for pastries and the like. Target prices (including drinks) are about $6 at breakfast, $11 at lunch, and less than $20 for three courses at dinner, says Lambos.

Opening: Firebirds No. 3, Midtown Sundries No. 5

The Charlotte area's third Firebirds is slated to open in July at SouthPark, at the Morrison Plaza. The national chain's specialties include grilled steaks, seafood, pasta, burgers and salads; www.firebirdsrestaurants.com.

Midtown Sundries Restaurant and Bar is opening its fifth Charlotte-area location in a building under construction on N.C. 73, between four-lane and two-lane N.C. 16. Joe Marusak

Salmon, prime rib at Providence Cafe New spring menus at Providence Cafe (110 Perrin Place) include tarragon-Dijon-glazed salmon and prime rib at dinner. 704-376-2008.

Help Morton's grant wishes for sick children

Morton's The Steakhouse hopes to celebrate its 30th anniversary by granting the wishes of 30 children with life-threatening medical conditions through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The goal is a minimum of $125,000 nationally, and the two Charlotte locations hope to also grant a local wish for the organization's Central & Western North Carolina branch. Wine dinners, wine auctions and a Sunday burger special from July through September will help raise the money. Info: www.mortons.com/30wishes.

‘Prime Rib Thickburger' coming to Hardee's

Hardee's is launching the “Prime Rib Thickburger,” a 100 percent Black Angus Beef burger with thinly sliced prime rib, horseradish sauce, grilled onions and Swiss cheese on a toasted ciabatta roll, with “Aus Jus sauce.”

Find out which wines go with N.C. barbecue Total Wine & More (10052 E. Independence Blvd., Matthews) hosts a free tasting event with N.C. barbecue (vinegar-based sauce, that is), more than 15 wines and appetizers, from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday. 704-849-2022. -- Vanessa Willis

1. Nikko's “Trust Me” roll. Eel, smoked salmon skin, shrimp, tobiko (flying fish roe). Trust me, too: It's good. 1300 South Blvd., 704-370-0100; 5105 John J. Delaney Drive, 704-341-5550.

2. Sekisui's “Panthers” roll. This combines eel with spicy tuna and a little cream cheese in a regular roll, then a thin layer of delicate baked hamachi (yellowtail) is laid atop the roll, and it's squirted with a little eel sauce. (That's a sweet-edged savory sauce: think barbecue.) 14211 Reese Blvd., Huntersville; 704-992-1234.

3. Sushi @ the Lake's “Chef Tim's Smackdown” roll. Yellowtail and smoked salmon join cucumber, roe and a spicy-crunchy softshell crab in this winner. 19732 One Norman Blvd., Cornelius, 704-987-8080.

4. Yotto's “Matrix” roll. This, a daily special, paired small, asymmetrical rolls of tuna and salmon into a yin-yang look within a larger roll. 7731 Colony Road, 704-542-4222.

5. Sushi 101's “Passion” roll. Fresh, juicy mango and crab stick are this roll's center, and tuna and salmon drape its top, with a little eel sauce and sesame seeds. 1730 E. Woodlawn Road, 704-672-0990; 5355 Ballantyne Commons Parkway, 704-844-0001; 8662 J.W. Clay Blvd,, 704-717-8211.

Q. What's your take on the foie gras ban in some cities? I thought that this was a situation where the ducks are farm-raised, no differently than many other proteins that we consume. I'd love to know your opinion.

It's a complex issue, with lots of emotion on both sides, and I've read a good deal about it, though I certainly don't profess to be an expert. At the end of the day, I don't believe the outrage over foie gras is proportional: I'm more concerned about the living conditions of the animals raised in poor conditions in much higher volume – chickens, pigs, cows – than this infinitesimal fraction of the market. I suspect the truth is that the better animals are treated, the better off, in all ways, we are. For a look at a revolutionary new method in which birds are not force-fed to produce the oversized livers we call foie gras, check www.experimentalcuisine.com. Click on “In the Media,” then on Blue Hill chef Dan Barber's report on sustainable foods. There's plenty more of interest there, too.

Q. Any news on the Mac's Speed Shop that was supposed to be built in the Steele Creek area?

Look for it to open closer to the end of the year, November at best, owner J.D. Duncan says. In other Duncan-restaurant news, look for Bonterra chef Blake Hartwick to represent the Carolinas at the next Taste of the NFL, a hunger relief fundraiser held at each Super Bowl.

“Cool!”

Or “Sacrilege!”

Now that Nix & Co. have moved to dramatically bigger digs and a more prominent South End spot, the look has gone to in-your-face cosmopolitan: etched glass, dramatic flowers, white leather chairs and a lounge reeking of Mies van der Rohe (tufted black leather and chrome chairs and benches) – plus an enormous colored screen backing the sushi bar that's caught your eye if you've been down the street in 2008.

Fitting for a place on the ground floor of the infamous “pink building” – The Arlington, at Arlington Avenue. Hip and fun. (I was in the “Cool!” contingent the first time around, too.)

What's less obvious is that it's also better.

Service has warmed up a bit, the kitchen seems more confident, and everything I tried, with the notable exception of watery green tea, was vibrant.

Sushi is reasonably represented: The list is neither paltry nor expansive, although I was delighted that uni (sea urchin) was on the menu, in stock and excellent. (One begins to suspect at some places, after being told repeatedly a menu item is “out,” that it might never have made it “in.”)

One night, we ordered a sushi/sashimi omakase platter. Omakase means “entrust” and, usually, to say it with sushi means you are putting yourself in the sushi chef's hands, leaving the choosing of items up to her or him.

Here, it means you get two pieces of tuna, yellowtail, salmon, eel and shrimp, and just one roll and nine pieces of sashimi (fish without rice) as the chef wishes. We said we loved everything: We got tuna, yellowtail, salmon and flounder.

Disappointingly dull, though all were fine, so I'd suggest skipping the platter and going traditional: Sit at the bar, say “omakase” and go piece-by-piece.

For the sushi-leery, Nikko has plenty. A bright little plate of Korean-style slices of short rib. A simply brilliant piece of black cod marinated in sweet rice wine and white miso and served with a sautéed cake of wasabi-tinged mashed potatoes, sliced mushrooms and Napa cabbage. Udon in mussel broth. Tempura in many forms.

Dance music from the '80s has been the soundtrack on my visits, and with servers in all black and a big crowd, it gets clubbier and louder as the night progresses. Creamy orbs and angled cylinders light the place, and tall windows bring in street views – from which you can watch Charlotte continue to grow.

Look for a restaurant concept to be announced in the original Nikko spot: “We are not sure yet what we'll do,” says James Nix, Joanna's husband. One can guess it will be interesting.

Caty is in third grade across the street at Hickory Grove Baptist Christian School, and her mother, Donna Tripodi, is a cheerleading coach there.

"This is the hangout," Donna Tripodi said of the snack and soda shop on East W.T. Harris Boulevard.

Indeed, Aggie's is jumping on a weekday midafternoon, a time when many restaurants across the city are vacant.

Passenger-seat commuters -- those still too young for Wi-Fi coffee shops and high-octane java drinks -- are pulling over with a parent or sometimes a grandparent for a pick-me-up in a setting that clings gently to yesteryear.

Daylight pours in through the front windows and from behind the ice cream counter, which is lined with swerving stools not so unlike those from the old sandwich counters that disappeared with the proliferation of fast-food chains.

Textbooks, homework papers, colored markers and pencils are spread out at several tables and booths alongside footlong hot dogs, hamburgers, milkshakes and ice cream.

"It's a nice environment," Donna Tripodi said. "It gives me a chance to treat her (Caty), and then she can get her homework done."

Aggie's opened in 1985 next door to the Hickory Grove public library branch, which also draws after-school students.

The restaurant has changed hands at least twice. The newest owners are Mikyung Hong Park and Pyung Sul Park, Korean nationals who spent eight years in New York. They came to Charlotte about six years ago with no previous restaurant experience.

Business was slow when they bought the place nearly five years ago. They quickly turned things around by focusing on food consistency so that sandwiches, dinner plates and other foods are nearly the same each time. They also get food to the tables quickly.

They expanded the menu with a Philly cheesesteak ($5.95 with fries) and other subs, as well as chili cheese French fries ($2.25 or $3.55). The cheesesteaks are among the restaurant's best-sellers.

"I love this place," Mikyung Hong Park said, explaining that the restaurant has helped her and her husband find financial stability and professional fulfillment. "Sometimes (we're) busy all day."

Breakfast is popular with neighborhood residents, and local business employees file in for lunchtime, the busiest hours. Church activities also bring in good crowds. The after-school commuters are one more source of business.

"I like that there are always people here but it's not packed so it's uncomfortable," said Grace Caldwell, a seventh-grader at Bible Baptist Christian School, as she sipped iced tea with her mother, Paula Caldwell, at a booth next to the front windows.

The Caldwells live in the University City area. Sometimes they visit the library before heading home. They visit Aggie's about twice a week.

An intermission and a sweet indulgence can make way for sweet conversation.

"I just like to sit down and relax a moment," said Paula Caldwell, who said their favorite order is mint chocolate chip ice cream made at the restaurant."

French flavors at Philips Place

Café Monte, a bakery and bistro, is open at 6700 Fairview Road (in the Allen Tate Building at Phillips Place), offering French-flavored fare at breakfast ($7-$9), lunch and dinner ($6.50-$22). Managing partner Monte Smith (a former GM at the Palm) brought in chefs Justin Mendenhall (formerly with Ruth's Chris here) and Majid Amoorpour (formerly at Table). Diners can choose counter service or full service, and the menu ranges from pastries and crepes to pizzas to steak frites and beef bourguignon. 704-552-1116.

Jazzy crawfish contest happening

Each Thursday night through June 5, GW Fins (525 N. Tryon St.) plans to convert its patio into a New Orleans party: Crawfish Eating Contest, live jazz, food and drink specials and more. The restaurant asks offices to nominate one employee to take part in the crawfish contest, which pits competitors to see who can eat the most in a 10-minute heat. Winners advance to the final June 12; that victor wins a seven- to nine-course chef's table dinner for four.

Handcrafted beer from Canada

• Brixx at Birkdale Village hosts a four-course Belgian beer dinner Tuesday with handcrafted beers from Unibroue, a Canadian microbrewery specializing in Belgian ales. $30; 704-894-0044.

• The Oceanaire (4620 Piedmont Row Drive at Piedmont Town Center) hosts a Sequoia Grove Wine dinner Thursday. $85; 704-554-8811.

• The Bordeaux dinner planned for early May at Bonterra has been rescheduled for May 28.

Belgian cheesecake on lunch menu

Among dishes on the new lunch menu at Cosmos Cafe (300 N. College St.): flank steak salad (baby greens topped with fries, grilled flank steak strips, cheese and housemade ranch dressing); N.C. crab cakes; penne with Italian sausage, peas and cherry tomatoes; chicken Kung Pao; and Dark Belgian cheesecake.

Atmosphere and menu remains

Beantown Tavern will open in mid-May in the former Sterling's restaurant space at The Fountains shopping center on Ardrey Kell Road. The casual eatery will have the same menu and atmosphere as the original location in downtown Matthews, said owner Donnie Gaskin. 704-841-1421 and www.beantowntavern.com.

And Crosland has announced the following restaurants are coming to the new Blakeney Crossing development on Rea Road: Asian Fusion, Just Fresh and Omaha Steaks. -- Vanessa Willis

Tapas for the health-conscious

• Crave the Experience (19930 W. Catawba Ave. Cornelius) offers health-conscious tapas, such entrées as grouper and salmon, and soups such as bayside crab bisque and roasted red pepper with gouda. Various-sized "cutting boards" come with fresh fruits and vegetables, fine cheeses and a varied blend of breads and crackers to complement the restaurant's 20 medal-winning wines. Sandwiches and special requests are also available. 704-892-7747; www.cravesomething.com.

• Beergoggles Bar & Grille is open in the former Graduate Food and Pub, 19708-K W. Catawba Ave., Cornelius.

• Moe's Lake Norman Ale House & Marina, in the former Sand Bar at River City Marina, seats about 100 indoors and 100 outdoors and has 12 slips and gasoline for boats. Co-owner Bruce DeLorenzo calls it an "Irish pub with a Key West flair." -- Joe Marusak

• Frankie's Italian Grille (800 E. Morehead St.) hosts brunch 10:45 a.m.-3 p.m. 704- 358-8004.

• Global (3520 Toringdon Way) offers a Mother's Day menu for $31 per person ($12 for kids) and seatings at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30, 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. It begins with a basket of pastries and continues with choices in three courses. 704-248-0866.

• Brunch at Harper's (6518 Fairview Road and 11059 Carolina Place Parkway) will be 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

• At ilios noche (11508 Providence Road; 704-814-9882) brunch will be 10 a.m.-3 p.m., while at sibling Nolen Kitchen (2839 Selwyn Ave.; 704-372-1424), it'll start an hour earlier.

• M5 (4310 Sharon Road) hosts a Mediterranean brunch 10:30 a.m.- 3 p.m.

• Marriott SouthPark (2200 Rexford Road) offers brunch 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. 704-364-1346. Reservations recommended.

• Morton's (both SouthPark and uptown) will be open 1-9 p.m. for reservation-only, fixed-price Mother's Day meals for $59 per person. Also planned: a $16 cocktail in which an edible hibiscus flower is put in the bottom of a glass, blooming as champagne is poured over it.

• Owen's Bagel & Deli (2041 South Blvd.) will be open 9 a.m.-2 p.m. for the occasion, and moms with their children will eat for half-price.

• Pewter Rose (1820 South Blvd.) will offer specials along with its regular brunch menu 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m., including smoked salmon omelet and wild mushroom and spinach quiche. 704-332-8149.

• Table (Ballantyne Village) will serve brunch 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m., and reservations are requested at 704-369-5170.

• Moms get a free dessert with purchase of entrée at T.G.I. Friday's (multiple locations).

• Tomi (7741 Colony Road at Colony Place) offers a special brunch 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. with eight dishes and a healthy approach; $10; 704-759-1288.

Tender and smoky, usually made with beef heart and served with a spicy sauce, they're delicious. Delightfully enough, we've got a couple of places serving them, along with an array of other Peruvian goodies.

Expect at both to see the influence Asian cuisines have had -- as in the fried rice dish called arroz chaufa -- and the reliance on starch (many entrées come with white rice and potato):

• Pollo Inka is at 3210 N. Sharon Amity Road (704-532-6868), where a Thai restaurant used to be -- and where its decor of intricately carved wood remains. This is, despite the ornateness of that decor, a simple place: The radio plays loudly and servers bring dishes as they're ready. Rotisserie chicken -- pollo a la brasa -- is terrific here, seasoned mildly and full of intense simple flavor. Juicy, too. It comes with forgettable french fries and a little salad of iceberg, tomato and cucumber. Also worth trying is Parrilla Inka, a plate of grilled items including steak, chicken, chorizo and beef heart that's designed for two.

Fans of the tallarin saltado (noodles with beef or chicken) will want to opt for chicken; the beef toughens. Its seasoning tends to the bland, also. Better to stick with that vibrant chicken.

The menu helps with some pictures (though it's not always clear which dish is which), and if a server can't answer a question, he or she fetches someone who can. Don't forget your Inka Cola, a sort of Peruvian Mountain Dew.

• Those looking for a little more sophistication, or who need a little more explanation, should check out the month-old Machu Picchu at 4715 E. Independence Blvd. (704-449-0130).

Here, former bar digs that include a stone fireplace and raised bar area have been brightened with potted palms and Peruvian craft work. Servers offer explanations with ease, and the menu is slightly easier to read.

Anticuchos here were the best I've had: rich, plentiful, set off nicely with half a potato and a pale orange, seriously spicy chile sauce.

Potatoes appear everywhere in Peruvian cooking. (Did you know there were once thousands of potato varieties in Peru, with colors from purple to yellow? Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle," worth reading for a multitude of reasons, speaks to plant variety like this -- and its demise -- eloquently.) Here, you'll find dried potatoes in carapulcra (marinated chicken with sauce), and sweet potatoes, fried, on the side of sandwiches of pork fried with onions.

Don't miss ceviche -- white fish, shellfish or both -- "cooked" in lime juice, and the large Peruvian corn kernels called choclo.

The dinner at Las Ramblas is sold out.

But the event continues through Saturday with events you can still (at least as I write this) get tickets to:

• Vintner dinners, all Thursday night, range in price from $100 to $175 and include: Blackbird Vineyards and Tor Wines at the Fig Tree; Tasca D'Almerita at Mama Ricotta's; Flora Springs at Pewter Rose; Trefethen at Primo; and Newton Vineyard at Upstream, with unfiltered Chardonnay, unfiltered Merlot and "The Puzzle" (a red Bordeaux blend).

• "Big Bottles & Blues," where you can sample selections from more than 75 winemakers and bid on large-format bottles of wine (magnums to 6-liters) at a casual party at Gateway Promenade Friday night.

Live music and nibbles will be on hand; $90.

• A vintner tasting for $30, beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday at Gateway Center Promenade, with each of the Weekend's participating vintners hosting a station.

• The Grand Live Auction and Gala at 6 p.m. at the Westin; for $300 you can attend and bid on rare vintages, vacations, tasting events and more.

(You can also do a proxy bid if you can't attend but really want something on the list.)

Since beginning in 1989, the Weekend has raised more than $2.7 million for Charlotte-area charities.

This year's beneficiaries include the Allegro Foundation, Charlotte Symphony, Hospitality House of Charlotte, KinderMourn and a scholarship fund at Johnson & Wales University.

Info: 704-338-9463 or www.charlottewineandfood.com.

On tap: food from about 20 area Italian restaurants and stores, pizza dough acrobatics and other live entertainment, and a silent auction, as well as the possibility of witnessing the world's largest risotto from chef Gino Machiavelli (it's slated to be 4 feet in diameter).

Tickets are $50 for adults, $10 for ages 6 to 12, and capacity is limited to 300. Info: www.stanthonycharlotte.org or 704-333-8300. The event is hosted by the St. Anthony Foundation of Charlotte to benefit Nevins Inc., a nonprofit that aids adults with developmental and similar disabilities.

Beef strip loin amazes this chef

• On the spring menu at Zebra (4521 Sharon Road): Chenin Blanc-braised veal short ribs with butter-poached lobster, pan roasted wild Alaskan halibut, fresh jumbo lump crab timbale, Palmetto Farms squab breast salad, and what chef-owner Jim Alexander calls "the most amazing beef strip loin I have ever seen in my 27-year career!" 704-442-9525.

• New on the menu at Blue (Hearst plaza uptown): pan-seared foie gras over apple tart tatin with toasted walnut and arugula salad; pan-seared Alaskan halibut; seared jumbo scallops and braised short rib stuffed piquillo peppers; Catalan roasted pork shoulder; and more. 704-927-2583.

• Tria Terra (7707 Pineville-Matthews Road) will begin opening for Sunday dinner this week, with hours from 5 to 9 p.m.

• Salute (613 Providence Road), first a wine and food store, then a wine store and restaurant, is now a wine store, wine bar and wine education center. It will offer small plates and panini, and host regular free wine tastings Saturdays, plus wine dinners. This Saturday, you can sample Australian wines, and May 22, the store offers a Cabernet dinner.

Food for prom includes filet

Mimosa Grill (327 S. Tryon St.) offers a three-course prom menu for $38 per person, with choice of salad or appetizer; entrée of grilled bistro filet, roasted salmon or rotisserie chicken; and dessert. 704-343-0700.

Bakery goods and coffee on hand

• Amélie's ... a French Bakery holds its grand opening Saturday at 2424 N. Davidson St., offering classic pastries and bakery goods. Check the Web site for details: www.ameliesfrenchbakery.com. 704-376-1781.

• Dilworth Coffeehouse opens a location Sunday at Belk in Northlake Mall, offering both its coffee drinks and food from Charlotte's Something Classic.

Eating out for Mother's Day

• The Fig Tree (1601 E. Seventh St.) offers brunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner 5 to 8 p.m. for Mother's Day (May 11, remember?). 704-332-3322.

• The Morehead Inn and VanLandingham Estate each host a Southern style Mother's Day Brunch with reserved seatings at 10:45 and 11 a.m., 1 and 1:15 p.m. Weather permitting, outside seating will be available. $27.95 for adults, $23.95 for seniors, $14.95 for children 4 to 12 and free for those 3 and younger. The Morehead Inn is at 1122 E. Morehead St.; 704-376-3357. The VanLandingham Estate is at 2010 The Plaza; 704-334-8909.

• Ballantyne Resort (10000 Ballantyne Commons Parkway) hosts a Mother's Day Brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (last seating at 2) in its Fairway Ballroom. $57.95 for adults; $28.95 for ages 6-12; $7.95 for 5 and younger. Reservations required; 704-248-4100.

• The Mother's Day menu at Cosmos Cafe (300 N. College St.) will be offered 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., includes a make-your-own-pizza station, and will have live music and flowers for moms. $23.95; 704-372-3553.

Wine, fish and Scotch on menu

Max's Ally (355 John Galt Way in Afton Village in Concord) hosts a Trinchero wine dinner Tuesday. $69; reservations 704-721-6297.

Car nights combine food and music

Good Ol' Days at the Arboretum (3351 Pineville-Matthews Road), with new owners David Dunn and John Bradley, begins this week hosting classic car nights on Saturdays, with live '50s and '60s music on the patio. Dunn says they plan to keep the theme and most of the menu, and make "some improvements to the quality of service and the general appearance of the restaurant." 704-543-4100.

"It was the only place you could get a really good meal at a reasonable price," Wright says. "I would've loved to live right beside the place if I could've."

Folks across southern Mecklenburg and beyond enjoyed home-style cooking at the landmark cafeteria on Pineville-Matthews Road for 21 years.

James Minton opened J&K in August 1987, just as Carolinas Medical Center in Pineville debuted and long before the mall came nearby. He was the J in the name and wife Kapie was the K. After they died, daughter Amy Newman and son Wayne Minton took over the family business in 2004.

Newman, 44, says the family can't say much about the closing for legal reasons. "But we had to close for circumstances beyond our control," she added.

The closing came just after a yearlong moratorium on building in Pineville was lifted in March. The timing has raised speculation that there are plans to redevelop the Tower Place Festival Shopping Center behind the cafeteria.

Newman said her family misses their loyal customers who came to feel like family members after so many years. Many diners came in daily and some even ate two meals a day there.

"We've been going there maybe 15 years about once a week," Wright says. "J&K outshined all the other cafeterias."

Not much changed through the years, even after the children took over. "We did stop taking credit cards in 2003, because our check average was less than $7 so it cost us too much in fees to take them," Newman said.

But from the decor to the amount of butter used in the biscuits, things stayed pretty much the same.

Newman said they always made everything in-house, cutting their own meat and never using canned vegetables.

"All of the pies were made fresh daily, even the pie shells," she said.

Customers often asked for recipes, and they tried to scale them down to serve a normal-sized family, but it was hard, Newman said. "Like our macaroni recipe made eight pans, and for pies we'd make like 10 at once," she said, laughing.

They haven't ruled out publishing a cookbook.

Overall, business was good up until the end. But things had gotten harder recently as gas prices and food costs rose, Newman said.

The restaurant had 67 employees, with an average tenure of 12 years, Newman said. "Some had been there from the beginning," including the man who gave customers their tickets and the vegetable cook.

That's made it even harder to see the place close, she said. She'll miss the people most of all.

General manager Martin Bowles was there from day one, and his entire family worked at the cafeteria. After he died in 2006, wife Carol stayed on as a cashier, Newman said.

Wright says it feels like the end of an era. "You'd run into people from other towns who you knew from years ago who came in to eat there," she said. "Word had spread that the J&K was the place to go."

Wild colors cover everything inside, including about half the patrons. The menu's a mash-up of organic and local foods, stuff that isn't exactly either but still seductive (i.e. Imladris Farm apple butter for your breakfast biscuits), and more common fare.

Breakfast and lunch come from the Decidedly Folksy School of Restaurateuring, while dinner's a tamer, more serious thing: ribeyes with demiglaze and tomato lobster bisque and seafood specials and such.

I enjoy the dichotomy, but I can see, and have been told repeatedly, how some would wish it more uniform in feel. I also think you can never have too much breakfast for dinner, and though my Baucom's Best ribeye was fine, my non-dinner meals were much better. Co-owner Roger Raymer (the place is named for his two grandmothers, Zada and Jane) says the lineup is being mulled.

Zada Jane's was at its best for me one chilly afternoon, as I dug into a lunchtime plate of Bunny Rancheros with a hot cup of coffee that stayed full and a crowd of apparent regulars milling about. The dish pairs two eggs (usually Happy Eggs from Nashville, N.C., says Raymer) with choice of meat (choose chorizo!), black beans, queso and pepperjack sauce, salsa, guacamole, cilantro crema and tortillas. Oh, and home fries. And it's $8.95. And fabulous.

Fat "TLC" biscuits, Grateful Growers sausage and Anson Mills organic grits also appear on the all-day lineup, along with jasmine green tea from TEA ReX. Three-egg omelets come in multiple variations and, like many dishes, include neighborhood names; the Belvedere (spinach, goat cheese, mushrooms, tomato, roasted garlic and basil) is a favorite, while the Vegless Avenger features five (!) meats.

Breakfast entrées venture into sweets, from Amaretto French toast to pancakes with honey butter and maple syrup. Add a café mocha and you're sugared up enough to start wondering what the deal is with that mechanical goose wreathed in Christmas lights perched near the ceiling.

Also: Note that hours are being discussed. Raymer says he'd like to open at 6:30 a.m. weekdays and stay open through dinner on nights they serve it. Target date (you'll love this): Meck Dec Day. For nonlocals, that's May 20, and celebrates what some claim is the day in 1775 that men from this county declared themselves free from King George III.

A chop and other salads with housemade dressings and toppings from marinated tofu to roasted pumpkin seeds also appear on the all-day lineup, plus there are assorted coffee drinks made with Tennessee's Stone Cup Roasting Company wares and a full bar.

Servers meander and chat, dart and fetch in chaotic patterns and the kitchen varies significantly in speed and execution in my experience, and therein lies a conundrum:

When a home-grown place springs up, how much room are diners willing to give? Do we leave a little leeway for timing and inconsistency, and take responsibility for giving feedback? And if it's sufficiently homespun to have periodic difficulties, does management need to keep a more-pricked-up-than-usual ear to how it's going, quickly comping things that go awry?

Charlotte's got a pretty checkered past with veg-friendly, quirky, not completely consistent spots like Zada Jane's. Personally, I value them enough to want to be a collaborative diner. So: Could you face the goose away from me, please?

THREE STARS

ZADA JANE'S

Bring on the funk.

1601 Central Ave.; 704-332-3663; www.zadajanes.com.

HITS: Bunny Rancheros, hot coffee while you wait for a seat, wild art.

MISSES: A hard biscuit, a long wait, lackluster shrimp and grits.

PRICES: Breakfast/lunch about $2-$9.50; dinner about $10-$23.

HOURS: Opens at 8 a.m. Monday-Saturday and 9 a.m. Sunday, closes at 3 p.m. weekdays, 4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday and reopens for dinner 6-10 Wednesday-Thursday, to 11 Friday-Saturday.

SEATS: 50 inside, 50 on patio.

VEGETARIANS : D.

SMOKING: Smoke-free.

CHILDREN? Very welcome.

LATEST INSPECTION SCORE: 96 on Jan. 30.

Special at Santé breaks up the week

Santé (165 N. Trade St., Matthews) offers a midweek dinner special: $75 per couple buys you a three-course dinner (entrées include tenderloin tips, pan-seared free-range chicken, crab cakes, honey-mustard-glazed salmon and a vegetarian choice) and a bottle of selected wine.

Also offered: a prom night special for $69.95 per couple: three courses with choices including the tips, plus a grilled pork chop. 704-845-1899.

2 appealing dinners in a row at Bonterra

Bonterra (1829 Cleveland Ave.) hosts consecutive interesting dinners:

• Monday May 5 is a five-course Bordeaux dinner and seven-wine tasting (including the 2005 Château Doisy Vedrines Sauternes that won 93 points from Wine Spectator). Cost is $75; 704-333-9463.

• Tuesday May 6 is a five-course Torbreck dinner with cedar-plant-roasted salmon with 2006 Woodcutters Red, and tapenade-crusted Australian rack of lamb with 2005 The Struie for $110.

Construction closes restaurant to lunch

Due to construction along its street, Customshop (1601 Elizabeth Ave.) has closed for lunch. Saturday and Sunday brunch will continue.

4 courses with wine at Town on May 8

Town (710 W. Trade St.) hosts a four-course Steltzner Winery dinner May 8. Cost is $65 and Allison Steltzner will be on hand; 704-548-9463.

Mother's Day buffet at Red Rocks

Red Rocks at Strawberry Hill plans a Mother's Day buffet with roasted sirloin, popcorn shrimp, maple-mustard salmon and a kids' corner. $22.95 for adults, $9.95 for 12 and younger; 704-364-0402.

Cajun inspiration at Hotel Charlotte

Hotel Charlotte (705 S. Sharon Amity Road) holds a Rodney Strong dinner Wednesday with a menu that includes pork potstickers, steamed mussels, babyback ribs and more. $60; 704-364-6955

New at the place are some Cajun-inspired entrées and appetizers such as pasta jambalaya and Cajun fettuccine, new salads such as blackened salmon Caesar and more. Also: each Monday night is "Whitty's Flight Night," with four beers and a specially paired appetizer for $10.

Wine from Spain at half-price at Miro

New at Miro (7804-A Rea Road): empanadas (little meat pies) filled with beef tenderloin tips and other entrées and tapas choices, plus select half-price bottles of wine from Spain and Argentina dinner Sunday through Tuesday.

Curbside pickup at Rooster's begins

Rooster's (6601 Morrison Blvd.) has begun "Rooster's on the Run," curbside pick-up service for takeout.

All menu items are available for takeout, including bottles of wine. 704-366-8688.

It's a Kobe burger stuffed with braised beef tenderloin, foie gras and black truffle, topped with roasted tomato fondue, caramelized onion, Boston lettuce and horseradish mayonnaise, served on a parmesan bun with fries or onion rings. Cost: $34.95.

Also, chef Gabriele Grigolon, formerly of Luce, has joined chef Mickael Blais at Cosmos.

• Town (710 W. Trade St.) has a new chef in Greg Guthrie, and a new menu. It still opens with "conversation courses" -- which now include skewers, dumplings, sliders (tiny burgers), fries and pizzas, spring and summer rolls and dips. Other choices include meats such as bison hanger steak, fish and shellfish, and pastas such as roasted duck rigatoni.

• New dinner menus from Blake Hartwick are up at Bonterra (1829 Cleveland Ave.) and Las Ramblas (2400 Park Road). The first is using lots of vegetables from area farmers, and offers dishes such as duck breast with ragout of candy striped beets, fingerling potatoes, duck confit and baby spinach with blackberry liqueur. The second adds several dishes to the already lengthy tapas menu including Las Ramblas Sliders, with idiazabal cheese, romesco sauce (tomato and red pepper) and allioli (think garlicky mayo).

Wine dinners at Tria Terra, Nolen

Tria Terra (7707 Pineville-Matthews Road) hosts an Italian wine dinner with Arthur's on Monday. On the menu: tapas with Canella Prosecco, arugula salad with Pieropan Soave, spinach ravioli with Toscolo Chianti Classico, paella with Santadi Grotta Rossa and more. $70; 704-366-8610.

Nolen Kitchen (2839 Selwyn Ave.) plans a five-course Spanish wine dinner April 27.

Have lunch with your administrator

Administrative Professionals Day is Wednesday:

The Palm (6705-B Phillips Place Court) offers a business lunch menu for $17.95 per person: soup or salad, fried onions and cottage fries and choice of entrée (salmon, chicken, twin tenderloin filets, lobster salad, tuna or chicken penne). 704-552-7256.

GW Fins (525 N. Tryon St.) will offer a three-course lunch Monday through April 25.

Mother's Day special at Morton's

Both Morton's locations (uptown, 704-333-2602, and SouthPark, 704-365-1330) will open for longer -- from 1 to 9 p.m. -- this Mother's Day. (Note: It's May 11.) A menu for $59 per person will include salad, choice of entrée, side vegetable and dessert.

Reid's rolls into Founder's Hall

Reid's Fine Foods now offers breakfast and lunch weekdays (7 a.m. to 2 p.m.) from a cart at Founders Hall, with muffins, yogurt and coffee in the mornings and sandwiches, salads, fruit and specialty drinks in the afternoon. Info: 704-377-1312.

Second Harvest fundraiser at Table

Table (at Ballantyne Village) hosts a fundraiser featuring Earthfare produce called "Cooking for Hunger" on May 5. The event, including live and silent auctions, will support Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina. Tickets are $65; 704-369-5170.

Do you know of a restaurant in Charlotte that offers a variety of wonderful lobster dishes? Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated! -- Gail, Charlotte

I don't know of one place that routinely serves a wide variety of dishes using lobster, but I know of some killer lobster dishes I've had around town, from Customshop's pumpkin gnocchi with half a tiny lobster to Nolen Kitchen's butter-poached lobster.

Most are seasonal preparations, not menu staples, but McIntosh's has a pretty sweet appetizer of fried lobster tail that stays on the menu.

You might also look at some more classic versions at seafood spots, including GW Fins, which had bisque, dumplings, fried tail and salad on a recent menu.

If you want a variety all at once, you might consider Upstream's "Lobster Mondays." Maine lobsters are delivered each Monday, according to chef Tom Condron, and for $45, you can try them that evening in a four-course dinner. No, dessert doesn't feature lobster: It's a chocolate gianduja parfait with roasted pears, pecans, raspberry syrup and foam.

But first course is bisque with brandy and creme fraiche; second is chilled lobster salad with brioche and vanilla-orange vinaigrette; and third is wood-oven-roasted stuffed lobster with asparagus, herbs and lemon butter. Reservations suggested; 704-556-7730.