What’s new on the dining and retail scene in Charlotte, from restaurant openings to new outdoor excursions.

Eat + Drink

Dogwood: A Southern Table will reopen at The Westin in uptown as part of a $24 million hotel renovation. Dogwood was located in SouthPark’s Ashley Park from 2014-23. The 140-seat restaurant is expected to open in December.

Matt Cabana — a former tennis pro, turned banker, turned baker — opened The Accidental Baker at Metropolitan in midtown. The one-man operation specializes in sourdough and gluten-free baked goods.

Noche Bruta, a Mexican dining experience from Hector Gonzalez-Mora, debuted at HEX Coffee, Cocktails & Kitchen at Camp North End. Gonzalez-Mora was previously known for his Chilito taco pop-ups and, later, El Toro Bruto concept at Resident Culture Brewing. Noche Bruta is open Thur. – Sat. from 5-10 p.m.

Noche Bruta photograph by Unify Visual Marketing. The Accidental Baker photograph by Danny Charland. Sneak photograph by Elizabeth Kinne

Cakeable Cafe opened in uptown. The nonprofit bakery offers jobs and training for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

What the Fries debuted in its new space in the renovated lobby of City Kitch in Wesley Heights. City Kitch hosts a range of food concepts, from food trucks and ghost kitchens to restaurants under one roof.

Cocktail bar Sneak opened at Pecan Point in Elizabeth, with a bar program described as “a fusion of classic and retro cocktail techniques with a unique twist.”

Cornelius brewery Lost Worlds Brewing opened a taproom at Metropolitan. The taproom and terrace are dog-friendly, and guests can order food from a special pub menu from Joan’s Deli.

Tap & Vine, a wine bar and restaurant with locations in Ballantyne and Indian Trail, opened in the former Harry’s Grille & Tavern space at Quail Corners.

Blue Blaze Brewing in west Charlotte closed. Dreamchaser’s Brewery in Waxhaw closed; Middle James Brewing plans to open in the same location.

Shop

Twenty-Two West photograph by Comma Photography. Buru and Fanm Mon photograph courtesy Dillard’s

Belk teamed with Society Social on a spring clothing and home-decor collection to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its Crown & Ivy line. North Carolina-based Society Social, started by Roxy Te Owens (a former fashion buyer at the Charlotte-based department store chain), is known for its preppy-chic, grand-millennial style.

Dillard’s department store debuted The Coterie Shop, a store-within-a-store featuring four boutique women’s apparel brands: Abbey Glass, BURU, CROSBY by Mollie Burch and Fanm Mon. Coterie Shop styles are available at two dozen Dillard’s locations, including SouthPark Mall, and online.

Twenty Two West reopened at 2338 The Plaza. The jewelry and home-decor business was started by Mary Hamby in 2015. The new studio and store also has a “chai window” for house-made tea. The shop is open Wed. – Sat. 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. 

Explore

Left: Courtesy Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm. Right: Off Leash photograph by Sean Richard

Anne Springs Close Greenway debuted two new amenities in April. The Mountain Bike Skills Park offers ramps, rollers, drops and balance features, downhill and uphill rock gardens, and pump, bump and jump lines, suited for beginner to experienced riders. The Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm is a new educational hub that includes a petting zoo, half-mile loop trail, gathering lawn, garden and observation areas for horses, alpacas, cattle, ducks, rabbits and other barnyard animals. The Historic Tack Shed, the greenway’s oldest existing structure dating to 1885, is also part of the farm.

The Whitewater Center opened Off Leash, its 70-acre dog park, with a 1.5-mile loop trail, a pebble beach and lake access, and plenty of open and wooded areas for frolicking and relaxing. Food and drink offerings (for each dog’s human counterpart) are available at the new Barley House, a timber-framed outpost that incorporates repurposed pine trees from the area. Guests can take in views of the lake on the back deck or cool off steps away under a shaded pavilion. Dogs must have a collar and tag, be at least 4 months old and vaccinated. Guests must purchase an activity pass ($10) for each dog, and there’s a three-dog limit per person. 

Featured image: Dogwood: A Southern Table. Photography courtesy Westin.

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