plaza-midwood

Yup, here's the article for anyone that missed it. http://helendining.blogspot.com/2010/04/long-live-diamond.html Under the same ownership as The Penguin, expect this place to make a major comeback. Add another one to the long list of growing PM bars/restaurants...

Awesome pics, thanks.

Not sure how long its' been open, but I just tried Cafe Central for the first time yesterday. Awesome food, great drinks, cool rooftop patio, great vibe. Wasn't hardly anyone there, so I'm guessing it's taking a while for word to get around on this one. That place has great food and tons of potential. http://www.cafecentr.../Site/Home.html With all of the recent additions (Cafe Central, Bistro le Bon, Cuban Pete's, Loco Lime, Whiskey Warehouse)... to go along with all of the long-time staples (Zada Janes, Lulu's, Dish, Penguin, Thomas Street, Intermezzo, Common House, Lang Van, Dim Sum, Foskoskies, Common Market, Soul Gastrolounge, etc)...is there any doubt that Plaza Midwood has the best collection of restaurants in Charlotte?

"By 2012, or 2013 at the latest, the facility’s effect will be an almost immediate reduction in truck traffic in the uptown area. The current, smaller intermodal center in the NoDa area requires hundreds of tractor-trailers to exit the interstates and travel through the north side of uptown. That traffic will move to the airport once the facility is complete." I know that moving the intermodal yards out of Northeast Charlotte has long been a wishlist item for many residents. So how does this affect the current yards? This one will be 3 times its' size...so will the current one remain the same - or can that space be used for other purposes?

It has been announced: Grand Opening Tentatively Scheduled for Tuesday, April 27th, 2010 Stay Tuned! www.wetwillies.com

Honestly, I understand the concern about "loosening" the laws for this type of establishment. We don't want anyone with a trailer and a grill selling food on our streets. But come on...this is obviously a well thought-out, well funded operation. And really...Derita? Please don't hold this thing up with red tape, in the name of beauracracy. Let it proceed. They're ready to open THIS MONTH. Let this one set the new standard, and then re-write the standards accordingly. This startup isn't breaking the rules...it's upping the rules. Hopefully the city council recognizes this. It'd be a major blow if we told this local startup to find its' way elsewhere.

Again, not sure where this belongs...but it caught my eye in a big way: A local Charlotte entrepeneur is trying to convert old shipping containers into high-end street-food carts/mobile restaurants. Why is this even debatable? Apparently the Derita area is highly opposed to this because...that neighborhood has too much to lose...???? http://www.carolinaweeklynewspapers.com/story/20100409/how-shipping-container-could-become-charlottes-next-culinary-hotspot Their website... http://www.boxmanstudios.com/blog/ Is Charlotte Ready? If you read the most recent Charlotte Observer article about us – you’re aware that there are a small group of residents in North Charlotte that have decided our mobile restaurant concept is not right for their neighborhood. And we completely agree with them on this fact – their neighborhood has never been on our list of potential sites as we are focusing on the Uptown market and certain business parks . Unfortunately, even though I have assured them we aren’t planning to operate in their neighborhood (and won’t in the future) they intend to protest our text amendment to the zoning laws expanding the definition of a Mobile Food Unit in Charlotte. They simply don’t want us to exist. As you probably know, we are launching a mobile restaurant in April, 2010. But not just any restaurant – a restaurant that moves from place to place around Charlotte each day and offers a delicious menu created by a Cordon Bleu (Paris) trained chef which features fresh, organic produce wrapped in paninis, sandwiches, pizzas and more.

Not sure where this belongs, but interesting nonetheless. Charlotte ranked ninth in growth

Interesting. And their website confirms the move to NoDa. http://www.luxebohemiancafe.com/

Charlotte a big winner in high-speed train cash "The largest benefactor is the Charlotte Gateway Station in city’s Third Ward. Stimulus will pay $128.3 million of the price tag for bringing the inner-city train depot to the Graham Street facility. Included in the $128.3 million allocation is moving CSX’s Tryon Street yard to another Uptown Charlotte location called the Pinoca Yard." Sorry for the dumb question but...where specifically is CSX's Tryon Street yard currently? Is it right beside the Amtrak station?

If something is moved back...and then forward...did it ever really move at all?

Awesome news.

Was curious to see what Radio Shack's 900,000 square foot headquarters campus looked like. Here are some pics. Wouldn't something like that look sweet in uptown Charlotte...

How do I get a job with CATS/Charmeck/etc? I can put together a mean 1-slide "master-plan" PowerPoint presentation. Maybe even throw in a cool font or two.

The owner of the property was quoted as saying Neighborhood Theatre is "here to stay". Only the management group is leaving. They are apparently already in talks with various other management groups to take over the venue. P.S. The problem with this place can be seen by many of the posts above. "It's a local legend, a great venue, etc. I've never been, but everyone who has says they love it..." There's a delicate balance between remaining 'underground' yet still bringing in the 'mainstream' crowds.

Awesome, thanks for the numbers. The fact that it's been in the works for 10 years, to me, shows that Levine is *really* determined to get this thing done. It's no small task by any means...this thing is huge. If the numbers above are accurate, then this IS likely the largest development project in the history of Charlotte. It may take 10-15 years to complete, but it's an awesome sign that major urban improvements to downtown are definitely coming. Not that there was any doubt.

Can someone put this project a little more into perspective for me, in terms of cost and scale? That figure above of $700 million in total development...and the 2 million square feet in office space...and **THIRTY TWO ACRES** of development in Uptown. Is this the largest development project in the history of Charlotte? Does anyone know estimated development figures for projects like Epicentre, NC Music Factory, the various high-rises, light-rail, the Whitewater Center, etc. I know it's never apples-to-apples with projects like these, but just curious if this thing is as huge as I think it is. It's not getting nearly the press of some other Charlotte-area projects, but it seems absolutely *massive* to me.

Another rendering: http://cltblog.com/2449

I know it's day old news, but still...didn't see it mentioned on this site. Mecklenburg County approves $32M for project in Charlotte’s First Ward http://charlotte.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2010/01/04/daily24.html "Levine Properties owns 23 acres in First Ward. His development plan calls for 2 million square feet of offices, 280,000 square feet of shops and restaurants, 2,000 apartments and condos and a 175-room hotel. City and county officials estimate the Levine development will total $700 million once it is built out." Are there are any proposed renderings available for this thing? Sounds like it's gonna be a huge huge deal.

The space that used to be "The Nook" and previously "The Graduate" in Plaza Midwood now has signs up. It's called Cuban Pete's Cafe. Says it's opening this month... They also apparently purchased the store right next to it (additional space). Hopefully something in that space catches on. www.cubanpetescafe.com/

Zada Janes is one of my absolute favorite restaurants in Charlotte. But I agree with the service issues. They are always slam-packed for brunch on Sat/Sun, but the service issues have gotten noticeably worse over the past few months. In particular, they have gone through some waitstaff changes and I wouldn't say they were for the better. That being said, their brunch (when it gets to you) is amazing. Zada's has three main problems with it, and neither of those problems lead me to believe that closing is the best solution. Problem #1: They are slam-packed on Sat/Sun for brunch. If you have too many customers to serve, I find it hard to believe that closing the entire restaurant would be the first thing you'd try. They could add seating inside, start taking reservations, or add wait-staff and cooks to get people in and out quicker (ultimately, this is the problem). I would like to think that management would try 'tweaking' some of these things before ever considering closing. Problem #2: They have a non-existent dinner crowd. And they don't market that menu (lunch/dinner) hardly at all. Zada Jane's niche is their brunch...and it's the best in town. People know the restaurant and love it. But when regulars like myself (my friends and I go there 3-4 times a month) have literally never ordered dinner from the place...then that is an issue. I've browsed the dinner menu, and I *want* to go there for dinner sometime. But I haven't up to this point, for no other reason than the fact that it "just doesn't seem like that's their thing". If I was ZJ, I'd mix up the dinner menu...give some tried and true things a spin...and MARKET IT. I mean come on, put a sign on the wall that shows the day's dinner specials. That doesn't cost a dime, but it reminds me when I'm there that I need to come back for dinner. There are so many things that can be done to increase the lunch/dinner traffic, but I just don't think they are doing enough of that. Problem #3: They don't entice the "bar" crowd. Again, it all comes down to impressions. People think of ZJ as a brunch spot, not a place to grab drinks. Even though they have a huge bar, the best Bloody Mary's in town, a large beer/wine selection, and are right across the street from TTT, Snug, Whiskey, Soul, Common Market, etc. There's no reason they couldn't tap into that market and make Zada Jane's one of the 'bar crawl' stops in Plaza Midwood. Some sort of drink specials - or maybe live music on the weekends? - would probably help too. I dunno, even adding a TV or two on weekend nights...that could help get the football crowds in there. Bottom line: there is absolutely no reason why a place like Zada Jane's shouldn't succeed. They are insanely popular in Plaza Midwood, and the problems they face could easily be addressed with some forward-thinking and creativity, IMO.

Your parents can now add 'skyline view' to the house's features and jack the asking price up $20 G's. Shweet!

One of their signatures is that they have Jack Daniels *on tap*. And they also have a Jack & Coke Slurpee machine. Plus, the back wall is basically a huge cascade of boxes of whiskey. Whiskey is kinda their theme. How could any potential bar patron not love that? Give it a try. This place will be a hit, I have little doubt. Nothing out of this world...but a nice, solid, drink 'n eat spot in the heart of Plaza Midwood.

It's right across the street from Harris Teeter (Central and The Plaza). It's in the building where Creation (Chinese restaurant) used to be.

Disagree wholeheartedly about Whiskey Warehouse. I was there the other day and loved everything about it. It's a large space (for Plaza Midwood), the food was well-prepared, the menu was interesting, the setup was very modern yet unique (far from a chain restaurant), and it is more than likely going to be the #1 Sports Bar in Plaza Midwood (10 large plasmas throughout). Whiskey Warehouse is obviously more bar than restaurant...but the food looks to be very good as well. I only had an appetizer (steak kabobs) but it was very good. Fresh, quality cut of meat, fresh veggies, tasty tangy/spicy sauce, with sticky rice. The menu looked very interesting (I found 4-5 things that I wanted to try) and everything that I saw come out looked delicious. This place is far from a chain. It will be a huge hit in PM, I have no doubt about that. I only ate at Creation once, and immediately told my freind that that place wouldn't last. I've now eaten at Whiskey Warehouse once, and I am completely confident that it will succeed. Hell....having Jack Daniels *on tap*...and Jack & Coke Slurpee machines...that alone will keep me coming back! If you haven't been to this place yet, try it. It's a perfect fit for Plaza Midwood, IMO. No, it doesn't have that 'hole in the wall charm' that other places in PM have. But that's why it's a great. It's got a more modern feel that you'd get in a Ballantyne bar... except it's a local, unique, sports bar/restuarant/bar crawl type of place that PM sorely needs. Love it.