by Kristen Wile

Update, May 31: the restaurant is now open for business without an ABC license, which is expected to be approved in about three weeks.

When Greg and Subrina Collier, owners of BayHaven Restaurant Group, first began discussing the idea of their upcoming restaurant at Metropolitan, they envisioned a chef-driven concept highlighting Southern foodways. Instead, 3rd & Fernwood, targeting an opening this month, in the former Hickory Tavern space in Midtown, will serve a menu of more traditional meat-and-three items — a menu that’s more accessible and affordable.

“What attracted me to the space was we’ve always wanted to do more. I’m not going to say casual, but approachable concept,” Subrina Collier says. “Leah & Louise is a very specific concept; Uptown Yolk is a very specific concept. We wanted something closer to a meat-and-three —  a little more refined, but it’s still a meat-and-three.”

The meat-and-three is a traditional Southern dining style, featuring a plate of a protein and three sides. However, within that framework, there’s a lot of regional differences. Several dishes from the Colliers’ hometown of Memphis as well as a bit of inspiration from their time in the Southwest, for example, will be on the menu. 3rd & Fernwood is named for the area in South Memphis where Subrina Collier grew up, which is bordered by 3rd and Fernwood streets.

The menu will be divided into salads, sandwiches, proteins, desserts, and sides, served a la carte, meaning guests can order a traditional meat-and-three plate, or choose a different combination of items.

Something that stuck in Greg Collier’s mind as they worked on the concept was how Southern food and soul food often encompassed the same dishes, but Southern cuisine was often attributed to white chefs while Black chefs cooking similar food were labeled as cooking soul food. That was a constant consideration for him with Leah & Louise, a restaurant that was often labeled soul food despite serving chef-driven Southern dishes.

“With 3rd & Fernwood, I really wanted to not even worry about that, and as a chef, I just wanted to cook good food,” he says. “I don’t want to have to think about, ‘What does it mean if I serve mac-and-cheese? How are people going to think about me cooking hush puppies? What if we have fried chicken? What if we do fried fish?’ I had to think about that for Leah & Louise.”

With the new restaurant clearly recognized as a meat-and-three concept, Collier won’t have to worry about perception of the concept — instead, he’ll focus on ensuring the traditional Southern dining style lives on in Charlotte and the city remains aware of its history, and simply serving good food. Given Collier’s passion for cooking with local ingredients, while 3rd & Fernwood will be more affordable than Leah & Louise, diners shouldn’t expect cafeteria prices. There will be a list of regular vegetable options, such as braised collards, and a few rotating seasonal offerings made using locally sourced foods, including Carolina Classics catfish and produce from Freshlist. 

In addition to the restaurant, which will seat around 120 people between the dining room and the patio. They plan to expand the bar program in the coming months. The restaurant will soft open without alcohol until they get their liquor license, while they learn what hours work and what customers are seeking. 

The restaurant’s opening follows the closure of Leah & Louise at Camp North End, a restaurant that earned a Best New Restaurant semifinalist recognition in the James Beard Awards, as well as a Best Chef: Southeast nomination for Greg Collier. The restaurant’s last day of service was in late April, and the restaurant group will look to reopen Leah & Louise on the West side of Charlotte in the near future. In the meantime, however, focus will transition to operations at 3rd & Fernwood as it prepares to open, bringing much of the staff with it, including Courtney Evans as chef de cuisine, Cherise Hayes as beverage director, and Joleen Usher as pastry chef.

The Colliers hope to wrap up permitting and open their doors in the next two weeks. They’ll begin service with a three-course menu option, hoping to give customers a chance to taste the menu.