Q: What will it take for Charlotte to get a real tiki bar?

Tom: There are spots around Charlotte. The Royal Tot on Louise Avenue is rocking the tiki vibe. The rooftop bar at Whiskey Warehouse will occasionally have tiki-themed nights or specials, as will a number of other Charlotte bars. There’s also Toucan’s Lakefront in Mooresville, a cool tiki dive bar if you don’t mind a little drive, and probably getting a hotel room if you plan to fully tiki. It is kind of a tight niche though. To see more in Charlotte, it’ll take a tiki-committed lead mixologist, a restaurateur investor who would like to back it, and most of all, a public willing to support it more than a night or two per week.

Q:  Is it soft shell crab season yet?
Tom: I had the same question! I asked Catch On Seafood’s Sean Schussler when I saw him at StrEATs this past Sunday. He says it’s pretty much come and gone off the Charleston, South Carolina coast already, but harvesting should begin in our own state’s waters within a week or so. Look for more details here at UP when the tasty critters start arriving.

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