Q: I was in the mood for BBQ and knew that Resident Culture South End pivoted to a BBQ-centric menu after the taco joint left, and when I went to look at the RC menu, I discovered it’s not barbecue at all anymore! Do we know what happened?

Tom: We don’t know exactly what happened. We do know pitmaster/chef Edmar Simoes is no longer with Resident Culture, so that could explain the transition away from barbecue. We’re still looking into this, and should we get a more definitive answer, we’ll let you know. In the meantime, we suggest fulfilling your smokey cravings at Sweet Lew’s BBQ in Charlotte’s Belmont neighborhood or the many Midwood Smokehouse locations in the area. Word is you can get some nice suds at those places as well.

Q:  I’ve been very distressed to see many longtime Charlotte restaurants closing lately. What’s going on?
Tom: It’s tough. It’s like saying goodbye to old friends. There’s no one answer, though. For some, the owners have been putting in 80-hour weeks for decades, and it’s simply time to move on and get some well-deserved rest. In other cases, skyrocketing rents are squeezing out many local, independent restaurants to be replaced by out-of-town corporate chains that can afford the higher fees. And yet, for others, the saddest of all possible reasons, people just stop coming. All we can say is support those who are still hanging in there.

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