An amaro flight at Little Mama’s. Kristen Wile/UP

Q: Did you know that the FS Group is holding dinners? I received an invitation by e-mail today to the Little Mama’s Amaro Dinner taking place on March 21 in SouthPark. I am on that e-mail list I believe due to my sincere love of Yafo – curious as to what this sister concept looks like – but I do not recall any dinners like this in the past. 
Kristen: Yes, I love the idea of an amaro dinner, which Little Mama’s is hosting as part of Savor Charlotte! I checked in with FS Food Group’s Rémy Thurston about whether they keep to a regular schedule. “We do it when we get the inspiration,” he shared. Calle Sol hosted a rum dinner last year. On March 27, Paco’s Tacos is hosting a tequila dinner, and Mama Ricotta’s will host a wine dinner sometime over the summer.

Q: We’re looking for somewhere that has great cocktails but is also healthy-ish. Any suggestions?
Kristen: Sure do! Dot Dot Dot’s chef right now puts the Park Road Shopping Center cocktail bar’s menu on par with some of the best restaurants around town, and you already knew the cocktails are fantastic. Sea Level is a good choice for healthy eaters who appreciate an impressive bar program. Lastly, I think Grinning Mule would be a good choice for this criteria!

Q: Have the organizers of the StrEATs Festival have considered holding these festivities another week in the Spring? Again this year it coincides with CMS and I believe also Catholic Schools’ Spring Break. Granted, having it at that time may align well for many of those families, although, for others, Spring Break means missing out due to vacation plans (especially as some still are “making up” for a couple of staycation Spring Breaks from the pandemic years).
Kristen: Yes, but unfortunately, we’re pretty set on that weekend — I’ll explain why, and hopefully that helps! As part of Charlotte SHOUT!, the event needs to fall within the March 31 to April 16 timeline. Given the event is outdoors, the earlier part of that window can be a little more iffy weather-wise, and we wanted to avoid having the event take place during Easter or Passover. That pretty much limits us to the last weekend. However, we do have a series of StrEAT Smarts sessions taking place earlier during SHOUT! You can see the full schedule here.