January 29, 2026
Q&A: Queen’s Feast winter woes, next UP events
Each week, we answer reader questions about food and drink in Charlotte
Q: Has Queen’s Feast been extended because of the winter storms?
Tom: Mostly. No doubt Old Man Winter has certainly wreaked havoc with this year’s winter edition of Restaurant Week, pretty much wiping out both of its weekends due to heavy snow and ice. I reached out to Jill Hensley, co-founder of the event, now in its 18th year. She tells me over half of the 129 participating restaurants will be extending their three-course Queen’s Feast specials beyond the original February 1 close. The listing on the Queen’s Feast website has all the details on which restaurants will be celebrating “Queen’s Feast+.”
Q: Loved the Mi Cariño dinner! What are the next UP events coming up?
Tom: Thank you! I did too. We have several UP dining events still in development for 2026. You’ll know as soon as we iron out all the details. In addition, Unpretentious Palate will be hosting some events in conjunction with upcoming Savor Charlotte, one featuring 2025 UPPY Non-Restaurant Chef of the Year, Hello Uncle’s Michael Le. And don’t forget our Charlotte StrEATs Festival, April 11-12, which is part of Charlotte SHOUT. In fact, tickets for the StrEATs Tasting Tour are on sale now!
