Question: Where would you recommend we go for a girl’s night for the best cheese/charcuterie board in town?! Open to multiple spots for cheese-hopping.

UP: What a fun day! Of course, Orrman’s. The cheese bar is a fantastic place to sit, and the owner just earned what is essentially a cheese sommelier
certification. They also provide cheese plates for lots of restaurants around town. If we’re making this a tour of cheese, I’d go from Orrman’s to The Wooden Vine, where you can order cheese a la carte
so you don’t get too full. Head to Sophia’s Lounge next. Some other notable cheese plates include Dilworth Tasting Room and Rooster’s.
Earl’s Grocery will also make you a cheese plate to eat in-store or take home.

Question: What’s the one type of restaurant the QC is missing or lacking?

UP: Oh! Fun one! I’d say that with rent increasing, we’re losing those small, scrappy restaurants that you just come across and enjoy so much, you become a regular. It’s also a tough
media landscape here; the most attention goes to new places with big PR firms. You rarely hear about places like Aqua e Vino, for example, which is a tiny Italian place in Strawberry Hill that deserves our attention.
We could also use some more high-end international flavors. We’re still stuck in a mindset that international food should be cheap.

Question: Are you looking for any contributing writers?

UP: Not yet, unfortunately. Since we’re a startup, we can’t afford to pay anyone yet. But we hope to eventually.

Question: I host a dinner monthly for women entrepreneurs. Approximately 30 to 50 people. We are always on the lookout for amazing experiences, but since our events fund our grant, we need to stay within a $25/head budget. So many of our hosts have seen us as marketing or sponsorship opportunities and do a bang up job, but we need more choices.

UP: Totally understand on the nonprofit thing! Most restaurants will work with you to get to that budget, but you may have to eat early (5 p.m. or so) or encourage your guests to buy alcohol on their own. Since you’re
looking for good experiences, my advice would be to think about the chef first, then work with the restaurant on how to get to your price point. I’d also ask when scheduling to ask them to have the chef come out at some point and talk about the courses.
That chance to brag will likely make the chefs try a little harder and be a little more out there. Private dining rooms are helpful, too, since those spaces are often empty when they haven’t been booked. I’d try The Asbury,
which has a private dining room upstairs. (Here’s the email for Dallas Taft, their banquet coordinator.) At Fin and Fino, you could do a heavy hors d’oeuvres
or basic three-course meal with a cash bar, but the cocktails there could make the evening a standout, and they have a female lead bartender, Brittany Kellum.