Q: What are your thoughts about the SouthPark Wine & Food Festival coming this September?
Tom: Anything that salutes the fruits of Dionysus is cause for celebration. However, I do have questions about the degree of community commitment the September 27 event will actually have. It is not a locally generated event. The festival is one of a series of promotional events created by Drink. Eat. Relax, out of Baltimore which runs this and other events throughout the Mid-Atlantic — including “Beer, Bourbon, & BBQ” and “Tacos ‘n’ Taps” which have also had Charlotte dates. So, I’m concerned it won’t have the same level of local engagement more homegrown festivals have, including the Charlotte Wine & Food Festival, Lewis Donald’s Carolina BBQ Festival, and even our own Charlotte StrEATs. Promotions for the SouthPark event focus on “100+ International Wines, Beer, and Spirits.” A vendor list has not yet been released, so I don’t know how many North Carolina wineries, breweries, or distilleries will be involved, if any. But there’s always hope. I guess we’ll soon find out.

Q:  With Meshugganah no longer part of the Joan’s Bakery operation, where do I now go for a good pastrami sandwich?
Tom: Looks like I’m going to need to revise our UP pastrami guide, since my favorite two spots on the list are no longer open. Chef Rob Clement of Meshugganah and Rare Roots Hospitality parted ways in March. Rob is now focusing on restaurant consulting. The good news is a good pastrami sandwich in the Queen City can still be found. Schreiber’s on Rye in Optimist Hall offers an excellent pastrami sandwich, as does Katz Deli in Ballantyne and Rusty’s Deli & Grille in South Charlotte. My other favorite, now departed, pastrami spot, The Good Wurst in Plaza Midwood, has been replaced by Clark’s Snack Bar, with Good Wurst’s original owner. I haven’t compared its sandwich with the original, but as soon as I do, I’ll let you know how it stacks up.

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