by Shannon Blair

Ever Andalo in NoDa offers an olive oil flight. Photo by Kenty Chung

Flights are an excellent way for curious diners to learn more about that food they’re eating. While wine and beer flights are common around town, there’s more than alcohol to enjoy via flight. Here are some of our favorites around town.    

Olive oil flight, Ever Andalo

The Italian restaurant concept in NoDa has a focaccia and olive oil flight on its antipasto menu for $10. “The idea is rooted in the whole philosophy of the restaurant,” owner Jeff Tonindandel says. “With Italian cuisine, it should be simple and let the ingredients shine.” 

Rather than three random olive oils, Tonidandel and his wife and business partner Jamie Brown selected three specific ones to import for their customers’ experience. “We were able to find three D.O.P. olive oils that, besides being wonderfully tasting, take you on a tour through Italy,” he says. “They showcase the different regions.” 

D.O.P. (Protected Designation of Origin) is an official stamp guaranteeing a product derives from a specific location and uses traditional production methods of that region. “It gives a sense of place through a special product,” Tonidandel says. 

Customers who order the flight can expect a freshly baked, naturally leavened loaf prepared by pastry chef Amy Langly. The tray of three oils includes the following, which provide the taster a range of complexity and flavor notes:

• Frantoi Cutrera from Monti Iblei in Sicily
• Colle del Giache from Chianti Hills in Tuscany
• Garda from Lake Garda in Veneto, from where Tonidandel says you can see Andalo (his family’s homeland and the establishment’s namesake)

These three products are also used as finishing oils on other plates like the anchovies and crudo, due to their varied profiles. Tonindandel goes back and forth on his favorite oil but recommends trying all of them naked with just a little salt: “No reason to muddy the flavors.”

“The focaccia offers a great way to start the meal off,” Tonidandel says. “It gives people things to talk about and share. It’s just a great way to break bread.”

Amaro flight, Little Mama’s 

Another way to bookend an Italian meal is by concluding it with any three beverages from Little Mama’s cocktail menu amari list. This more bitter-than-sweet liqueur flight allows you to engage with tradition for $25.

Tuna or salmon flight, Prime Fish 

Flights can be found at sushi restaurants, too. For $40, you can taste three different cuts of bluefin tuna at PrimeFish in Ballantyne. Order this tasting as six pieces of nigiri or nine pieces of sashimi. Likewise, you can taste three different cuts of Faroe Island salmon in nigiri or sashimi form for $25.

Try various cuts of tuna at Prime Fish in Ballantyne. Kristen Wile/UP

Kombucha flight, Lenny Boy Brewing Co.

Curious about kombucha, the fermented drink that has grown in popularity? Lenny Boy Brewing Co.’s taproom offers the option to try six (5 oz.) pours ranging from $13 to $16 depending on the order (or $10 on Thursdays during its weekly flight special). 

You can mix and match the kombuchas in a flight with ones containing alcohol (honey or hard) or no alcohol — and even swap in some of Lenny Boy’s beers and sours, too. 

Try founder Townes Mozer’s kombucha picks — or something new from the nine flavors on tap right now. “My favorites are the Sweet Potato Pie, Happy Camper, and Herb’s Honey,” Mozer says.

Ice cream flight, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams

It’s difficult to choose just one flavor at Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, so consider tasting two, three, or ten instead. Three sampler options are available at all three Charlotte locations (South End, NoDa, Park Road).

• Single – $5.95 gets you two half half scoops, with up to two flavors from the full menu.
• Trio – For a dollar more, you can get three half scoops of any three flavors.
• Full Flight – Go all in for $20 with ten half scoops arranged side-by-side on a tray. The flavors are pre-selected from Jeni’s most popular year round offerings, but you can switch out up to two if you don’t prefer one or want to try something seasonal like fall’s pumpkin cake roll. 

If you need help deciding, gooey butter cake is Charlotte’s most-ordered flavor, while brown butter almond brittle is the national bestseller.  

Gravy flight, Biscuit Head

Traveling just outside of Charlotte? Add a biscuits and gravy flight to your itinerary. Plan a pit stop at Biscuit Head for a gravy flight if you’re in Asheville or Greenville, South Carolina. For $7, you’ll receive an oversized biscuit with the choice of three gravies. Try the gravy of the day, venture out by sampling a veggie “chorizo” or sweet potato coconut, or stick with a more traditional pork sausage or fried chicken gravy.