October 8, 2026
Q&A: Apple picking, fried bologna sandwiches
Each week, we answer reader questions about food and drink in Charlotte
Q: Are there any relatively nearby places where I can take my kids apple picking?
Tom: Yes there are, but time is running short! Carrigan Farms in Mooresville is on the tail end of its U-pick season, with Evercrisp and Gold Rush apples ready for your baskets until approximately October 16. Reservations are required, so book before you go. You can also book a fun pumpkin picking and hayride. The heritage fifth-generation farm has been in continual operation since 1902. Going in the other direction, Windy Hill Orchard & Cidery in York, S.C. is offering pick-your-own apples on Fridays through the end of the month. Again reservations are required for apple picking, but if you just want to sip some hard cider, feel free to drop by the farm’s cider bar on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through October. If you want to make it more of a field trip, also check out Perry Lowe Orchard in Moravian Falls and Apple Hill Orchard & Cider Mill in Morganton, which unlike the others’ weekend-only hours, allows you and your family a fun apple-pickin’ time Monday through Saturday for the rest of this month.
Q: Where can I get me a good fried bologna sandwich?
Tom: First stop is Brooks Sandwich House in NoDa. They’ve been frying up bologna since 1973. You can get it as a classic sandwich or get what UP photographer Peter Taylor orders, a Brooks hamburger topped with a slice of fried bologna. Dom’s Dive Bar in South End can also hook you up as well as Carolina Steel Sports Bar in Ballantyne. If you can stand to wait a few more days, Ace. No 3. is returning fried bologna to its Myers Park, Uptown, Belmont Village, and Concord Mills menus beginning Monday, October 12.
