Hidden gem in Charlotte’s Oakhurst neighborhood where the menu is as creative as the food
February 22, 2021
Bruce Moffett selling Plaza Midwood’s N.C. Red
The pandemic and inconsistent business led to the closure
N.C. Red in Plaza Midwood will be sold. Photo by Peter Taylor
Restaurateur Bruce Moffett is planning to sell N.C. Red, his Plaza Midwood seafood and fried chicken restaurant. Moffett is in talks with restaurateur Frank Scibelli, owner of FS Food Group restaurants Mama Ricotta’s, Yafo, Midwood Smokehouse, Paco’s Tacos & Tequila, and Little Mama’s. Moffett informed staff over the weekend. Reservations are no longer available at the restaurant after Saturday, Feb. 27, though Moffett says the final day of service will be March 6.
“N.C. Red was super personal to me,” Moffett says. “I was really proud of what we did and the food that we produced, and I was really proud of the people that worked there and worked for me and worked so hard. It’s heartbreaking to see it go. But at the end of the day during this time of Covid, with all the uncertainty going on, it just seems to me like it’s best for all parties involved if we live to play another day.”
According to Moffett, the closure is due to the unpredictability and inconsistency of business in the space, amplified by the current pandemic.
N.C. Red opened in the spring of 2019 with former Stagioni executive chef Drew Dodd in the kitchen, serving a chef-driven take on fried chicken — both Nashville hot and Southern — and dishes inspired by Moffett’s New England upbringing, including stuffed clams, lobster rolls, and a raw bar. The restaurant is in the former Penguin space, and N.C. Red’s closure — and Comida’s before it — gives credence to those calling the space cursed.
Moffett also owns Stagioni: Four Seasons of Food, Good Food on Montford, and Barrington’s Restaurant. N.C. Red was particularly special to Moffett, and while he hopes to resurrect the concept one day, he says as he gets older, he is looking to minimize the financial risks he takes. The chef is looking for more opportunities to be a silent partner, and hopes to support the growth of chef Larry Schreiber’s Bao + Broth concept found at Optimist Hall.
“I’m hoping to have a little bit more behind-the-scenes opportunity as I move forward, and less skin in the game,” Moffett says.
N.C. Red closed temporarily early in the pandemic for an overhaul of operations, including a chef transition, simplified dishes, and an addition of lunch hours, which ended a few months later. According to Axios Charlotte, Scibelli plans to turn the restaurant into a Latin concept called Calle Sol. Scibelli declined to comment for this article’s publication.
Correction: An earlier version of this story stated the restaurant will close Feb. 27. The restaurant is not currently taking reservations after Feb. 27, but the final date of service is March 6. We regret the error.
