Our Editor’s Dish pieces are taken from our free newsletter, sent on Monday and Thursday each week.

by TM Petaccia

Chef Michael Bowling passed away yesterday.

He was as warm and generous a person you can find anywhere. He was also a damn good chef.

For the most part, Michael flew under the radar in terms of the city’s culinary buzz, but make no mistake, his impact on Charlotte’s food scene is significant. From his days launching Hot Box Next Level Kitchen food truck and subsequent food residency at Southern Strain Brewing, to being one of the founders of Soul Food Sessions, to cooking at the James Beard House, to a wide number of collaborations and mashups with other city chefs, he left a mark that far exceeded the notoriety he was seldom given.

Michael was a key factor in knitting together Charlotte’s modern culinary community, reminding the city that great food is as much about generosity and connection as it is about technique.

I have a few key memories to savor. I first got to know Michael in 2014 while picking heirloom apples Horne Creek Farm in Pinnacle, N.C. for a Piedmont Culinary Guild collaborative dinner. I was struck by his immediate cordiality in welcoming “the new guy.”

I’ll also remember a cocktail pairing dinner he did with Bob Peters at the old Queen & Glass, which is also notable as the first night Kristen and I ever shared a table (who knew then!). His menu was exquisite. I told him afterward it was like he reached into my brain and pulled out all my favorite foods and flavors.

There was also his Plated Pop-Up dinner with us. The meal was primarily seafood, something Michael didn’t work with too often, but it was like he’s been working in a seafood kitchen for decades.

Mostly, I’ll remember that smile, which always came with a twinkle in his eye, probably the best pairing imaginable.

I’m sure those you who knew him or at least tasted his food have delicious memories as well. If you don’t mind sharing them by replying to this email, I’d love to read them and possibly share them in a tribute story.

Charlotte’s table is a little quieter without Michael Bowling, but his drive lives on in the kitchens, collaborations, and community he helped build.

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