Q: I saw your recent post about Prime Fish and their new location. All of this news is exciting as my wife and I are big fans. We have visited the Ballantyne location several times but never for the omakase.  I think that they always do it on a Monday and we live nowhere near there, so not the best option for us. My question is about the price point. Is it worth it? Have you or someone you know experienced it? The reason I ask mainly, is that we have experienced omakase in other cities and the price point was nowhere near the same, including NYC.
Kristen: I haven’t yet tried it; Mondays are tough for our house, too, but I have heard excellent things. Part of the price point comes from the fact that the restaurant will only seat six guests, and the extremely intimate experience you’re going to get is factored into that price. Also, in order for a restaurant to survive seating only six guests during two service times, the price point will have to be high. That size, however, also enables chef Robin to do more complex menu items than one could cook while trying to put out a 16-course menu during regular dinner service. So far, the omakase experiences I’ve had in Charlotte are generally made up of a tasting of mostly menu items, in a succession selected by the chef. This will be far from that, and my prediction is that it will be worth the price point for a special occasion. We’ll let you know as soon as we’ve checked it out.

Q: Is there any news on when the Lidl in Carmel Commons is opening?
Kristen: Our intel says May, but we’ve reached out for official comment. Stay tuned!

Q: I’m moving to Boston soon. Who should we follow/look out for there?
Kristen: A friend in the industry (restaurant-side) says Eater Boston editor Rachel Blumenthal is a must-follow. Justin Burke, former UP recipe editor, moved here from Boston and suggests The Boston Globe’s Devra First, Hidden Boston, Boston Magazine’s Scott Kearnan, and MC Slim JB. We’re sad to see you go, but best of luck!

Q: What is going in the space next to Idlewild?
Kristen: Let us do some research on this one!

Q: Do you know what’s replacing Krazy Fish on Central Avenue?
Kristen: Tom Petaccia, our newest contributor, did some digging and shared this on our Instagram: “While we weren’t looking, Plaza Midwood favorite Krazy Fish closed its doors. The eclectic restaurant is being replaced by Morningside Pub — a private club, just beer, wine, and liquor. No food service. We’ll sure miss those Blackened Mahi Tacos.”

Have a question for us? Email us at editor@unpretentiouspalate.com and we’ll answer it on our next Concierge Thursday!

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