Last updated: January 4, 2024

In the Weeds

by Kristen Wile

The classification of fine dining restaurants is shifting, and chef Sam Diminich’s sit-down debut, Restaurant Constance, exemplifies that shift. When looking to be impressed, diners no longer default to placing reservations at restaurants with crisp white tablecloths and servers dressed formally in black to order steaks and bold cabernets.

In fact, you won’t find any tablecloths at all at Restaurant Constance. The warm-toned wooden tabletops, walls hung with vinyl albums, and shelves with knickknacks and photos create an atmosphere of intimate hospitality, as if you were in someone’s home. And while the staff wears aprons instead of bow ties, there is no doubt that they are among some of the best in the city, with a depth of knowledge about the menu items and sourcing that can come only with pride in the experience they’re part of providing.

Adding in Diminich’s cooking, which stands among the best in the city, Restaurant Constance makes a statement that fine dining is no longer dependent on the showmanship — rather, it’s in the craftsmanship. In all aspects except for its wine list, Restaurant Constance competes far above your typical chef-owned first restaurant, fairly at home in conversations that are normally dominated by Steak48, The Palm, and The Fig Tree.

Diminich calls the restaurant “non-concept,” with menus that shift based on what’s growing at the local farms. Diminich borrows inspiration from the varied experience in his culinary career, from his adolescence in his family’s hearty Italian restaurant to the bright, fresh seafood flavors of former SouthPark restaurant Upstream, in creating a diverse menu that features memorable sashimi and crudos alongside spicy fried chicken lettuce wraps and pork belly dumplings, with dashi and pepper jellies and aiolis all at home among them.

Despite its non-concept label, Restaurant Constance’s menu reflects what is becoming a signature cuisine in Charlotte: locally grown, Southern ingredients give a sense of place in the Carolinas, while global inspiration and cooking methods infuse the menu with the personality of the person who created it. Diners can expect consistency here. Proteins are always reliably tender and flavorful, and what looks to be simplicity at first glance is actually layers of flavors meant to draw out the best in each ingredient. The pork shank is a decadent order and one a meat-lover can’t skip, thanks to fall-off-the-bone tenderness and flavorful sauce. For lighter dining, the scallops are delicately cooked and a testament of Diminich’s ability to harmonize local ingredients on a plate while still maintaining their own essences. On the most recent menu, Diminich serves tempura sweet potato rounds that turn a year-round staple into a dish with such a medley of textures and flavors, it helps the under-appreciated crop transcend its usual placement as a purée to become a memorable dish on its own. Thought the menu is small, it is surprisingly adaptable, with its light seafood dishes and hearty red meats equally worthy of praise. Unlike most menus, the salad section is one you can’t skip — there’s a reason Diminich has bottled his vinaigrettes, and that reason is clear when you take a bite of his salad creations.

Restaurant Constance’s only real limitations are those that come with the restaurant’s small size, inside the original Counter- space in The City Kitch. Even with Restaurant Constance’s focus on non-alcoholic drinks — the restaurant does serve wine and beer list — the lack of a bar area makes it awkward for guests who arrive early or before their table is ready. There is also a 90-minute seating time for earlier reservations, and that time can go quickly — especially when ordering dessert is a must, thanks to the creative creations of pastry chef Ann Marie Stefaney, whose dishes pair wonderfully with Diminich’s savory menu.
Diners got a taste of Diminich’s exceptional talent and ability to connect with diners when he launched Your Farms Your Table, and Restaurant Constance builds on that. Now, he works tirelessly to grow the business’s many sectors — from delivery, catering, and dining to pantry staples and nonprofit work — and along the way is helping to define the reputation of dining in Charlotte.