We made it to the end of the year, and we couldn’t be more grateful for all the readers we’ve found along the way. We established Secret Charlotte this year as a friendly guide to all things newsy, foodie, and boozy in the city (with some arts and culture thrown in for good measure) and we didn’t expect to have such a big reaction! For this reason, we decided to round up 10 of our favorite roundup articles of 2021. Bookmark this page and come back to it whenever you need a little bit of inspiration! Here’s the writers at Secret Charlotte’s favorite foodie and boozy roundups of 2021.
1. The Foodie Bucket List: 25 of Charlotte’s Best Eateries, According to Charlotteans
For this article, we rounded up our reader’s favorite restaurants and put them all into one convenient and long list. The guide has got everything a Charlottean might enjoy, from good ole’ Southern classics to classy dining spots. Here are some of the restaurants that made the cut:
2. 5 Undiscovered Wineries Near Charlotte, According to One of North Carolina’s Biggest Wine Enthusiasts
We were so stoked to speak with Arthur from the popular wine blog, Merlot2Muscadine, for this article. Arthur was a wealth of knowledge about the North Carolina wine scene with 130 out of 186 already underneath his belt. We discussed lots of different wineries, but what Arthur really wanted to dig into was the hidden gems of the pack. In this list, we did just that, and listed 5 of the most unique wineries in Charlotte according to the expert himself
3. 15 of the Most Beautifully Designed Restaurants
The quality of a restaurant isn’t determined by how beautiful it us, but for this article, we included only those that were as lovely as they were delicious. We’d highly recommend trying to hit each one on this list if you can, or saving them for special anniversaries or dates for a little extra oomph. These are some of Charlotte’s most photo-worthy restaurants.
4. A Comprehensive Guide to All of Camp North End’s Eateries
When Camp North End opened, we were ecstatic to see how this new innovative arts and culture venue would transform the space. We weren’t disappointed. While their events may be ever-changing with the seasons, their eateries stay relatively the same, which is why we created this easy and comprehensive guide to all of the current concepts. From Charcuterie makers to popsicle stands and more!
- Babe and Butcher
- Leah & Louise
- La Caseta
- Hex Coffee
5.9 Cozy Coffee Shops for a Energized Coffee Crawl
What’s better than a coffee shop to laze away an afternoon reading or chatting with friends? We didn’t think there was much else, which was why we created this handy list of the best craft coffee shops in Charlotte that are making quality cuppas in cozy spaces. P.S. There’s even a cat cafe with cuddly adoptable cats.
6. 5 of Charlotte’s Most Exclusive and Hidden Speakeasies
This article is password protected.
…Just kidding! We’ve actually got the scoop on all of the most exclusive, members only, hidden speakeasies in the city in this handy little guide. We don’t want to ruin the mystery so go ahead and click on the article to discover them all.
7. 16 Lovely Outdoor Patios for Boozy Brunch
Who doesn’t enjoy a patio brunch? We do, especially when it comes with some of the delicious plates of food some of Charlotte’s best eateries have to offer. From locally sourced to Cajun-inspired to Carolina traditional, these are 16 of the best brunch spots offering outdoor and patio seating here in Charlotte!
8. 9 Innovative Breweries in the NoDa Neighborhood
NoDa, named for its main street North Davidson, is an artsy neighborhood within Charlotte, and one of the best spots for a good brewery crawl with friends. From good food to striking and colorful street art, this part of Charlotte has got it all so come spend an afternoon beer drinking with some delicious food and friends then take the Light Rail home.
9. 13 Cozy Patio to Stay Warm This Winter in Charlotte
With the chillier weather here, we wanted to make life easy by creating a guide to our favorite, cozy heated patios in Charlotte. From wine gardens to seafood restaurants and breweries, there’s a little something for everyone’s taste.
10. 10 of Charlotte’s Hottest Restaurants to Help You Discover The Food Scene
In our quest to try to pin down what exactly makes the Charlotte food scene tick, we created a guide to the hottest, most popular restaurants throughout the city. The restaurants to see and be seen. The ones that quickly come to mind when someone asks “What should we get for dinner?’ These are those restaurants. If there’s a way we could describe Charlotte’s food scene, we’d say that small plates, signature cocktails, and beautiful interiors are the holy trinity.
[featured image by suffolkpunchclt via instagram]