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| - Finally made it to Heirloom with Queens Feast Restaurant Week and it was an easy drink from central charlotte for Friday date night.
The reputation is entirely accurate - great meals with entirely locally sourced food in a repurposed space away from glitzy Uptown, hipster NoDa, or showy SouthPark. You come here for the food while making a statement with your wallet. Certainly one of the highlights of the Charlotte food scene, but I'll admit that my personal tastes will take me to return trips elsewhere.
We had a filling meal, but the interior space left a bit to be desired, particularly with the cold air rushing in during winter each time people used the front door. Credit for doing a good job to make it feel as nice as possible, but we never really relaxed during our visit. For as many staff members as we interacted with throughout the meal, it felt as if things were rushed, despite the fact our three courses we spaced too far apart.
Lesson learned? I wouldn't classify Heriloom as a fine dining experience, despite the artfully presented plates, but rather good food that is 100% local. You go here because you are steadfast in your interest in supporting local farmers and businesses.
Kudos for having their entire menu open for the restaurant week special. The most memorable dish was dessert: the black heart forest cake was picturesque and a sweet end to a good meal. Oyster appetizer was quite nice and I did take notice of all the empty shells outside when you walked in, which made me feel like I was near the water. The signature fried chicken was good, although not the best in the city. I like the old fashioned, per our waiter's recommendation, but the ice cube was too large for the glass, actually sitting above the rim of the traditional rocks glass, and made simply sipping the cocktail challenging.
I'm glad I went to Heirloom and would certainly recommend to anyone in town to check it out, as the food is good and I support their commitment to local ingredients. Solid 4 star spot, just wasn't totally wowed.
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