Q: What’s the best place for Southern soul food?

Tom: Be sure to check out Greg and Subrina Collier’s 3rd & Fernwood at Midtown’s Metropolitan. It’s a soul food meat-and-three, albeit on a more kicked up scale. Uptown, Mert’s Heart & Soul has been satisfying souls with food since 1998. Also Uptown, and kind of a hidden gem, Homestyle Kitchen, inside the XoXo cocktail lounge brings a touch of the Caribbean to its downhome dishes. I’ll also throw in Sweet Lew’s BBQ. Yes, everyone talks about the fantastic smoked meats, but Lew’s veggies and sides are as soul food as it gets.

Q:  Why can’t we sustain the beer and wine industry on domestic products only?
Tom: In the case of beer, unless you are talking purely about hyperlocal craft beers, all the large national brands are all part of foreign-owned conglomerates, such as Belgium’s InBev (Budweiser, Michelob, Beck’s, Corona) and Canada’s Molson Coors (Coors, Miller). As much as we love them, small, local breweries just don’t have the capacity to handle all of America’s beer thirst. Wine is a more complex story. It’s all about terroir. While the U.S. produces a wide range of wonderful wines, some grapes (e.g., Sangiovese from Italy, Tempranillo from Spain, or Riesling from Germany — not to mention French champagnes and Argentinian malbecs) grow best in their native regions. Importing wine ensures access to a broader range of flavors and styles with all their subtlties and depth. But you are correct in that there are plenty of outstanding American wines we should be exploring — like the ones made right here in North Carolina. You can explore them yourself by attending our StrEATs Uncorked event this Friday, April 4. Tickets are still available.

Q:  So I was sitting at the light in The Plaza and Parkwood looking at the tea and cannabis shop, and to the right was a tiny spot at the end next to that shop. Can’t recall what it was called, but started with a “C”. Anyway, I saw guys working to revamp the spot. Any leads on what it will be next?
Tom: Chamos Grill. A quick search reveals no building permit activity, so whatever is going on may just be in the early clean-up/prep stages. Thanks for calling this out for us. We’ll see what we can find out.

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