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| - After hearing through the grapevine and keeping tabs on construction for this establishment, we were surprised and delighted to hear that The Peculiar Rabbit was holding a soft open this past week. Had heard that it was going to be "Jack's Across the Tracks" and a few other rumors that made no sense. After seeing another gastro-pub open in town, the time was ripe to check it out! Here's my take:
The exterior and general aesthetic doesn't exactly scream gastro-pub. It has taken an odd shape with some serious standout qualities. My favorite part is the giant logo literally stamped on the side of the building. Definitely makes a statement.
The interior is very chic and a little more trendy than I anticipated. Wasn't expecting to see such a heavy bar scene. Long bar on the 1st and 2nd floors that I'm pretty sure mimic one another to a T. When it comes to a night out in Plaza, beer is always on the menu. I was pretty disappointed with the beer selection. The draught brews consisted of some NC beers, but only Copper from Olde Meck. Think it'd be nice to get some of the other local breweries on board as well. The bottle selection is decent. Had a chance to order a New Castle brew I had never had.
The menu was a bit limited due to the soft open. We stared with the twice-baked potatoes and pretzels. First, the twice-baked were pretty bland. The creme fraiche was very well executed, but the rest of the dish was forgettable. With only three tiny potatoes, I wouldn't look to order this again. The pretzels....divine. The presentation was great and the portions, hefty two-bite sized pieces, were perfectly crunchy on the exterior and chewy on the inside. The beer cheese, which seems to be rather popular as of late, is splendid. Great texture and subtle flavor. Also came with spicy stone-ground mustard.
We decided to split an entree. Went with Banh Mi. My goodness. Talk about divine. The pork was so flavorful and was reminiscent of some other great Banh Mi I've had. The veggies were fresh and complemented well. The bread, sourced local, was a nice touch. Very good stand up for that juicy which.
The views are absolutely stunning. It was an absolutely gorgeous night and the skyline couldn't have been set more perfectly. The roof deck is by far one of the most impressive in town. I'm looking forward to dining there next time!
One of the most admirable aspects is the farm-to-table practice. Great to see the menu littered with local sources and our server had a great knowledge of where specific items had come from. A rather important trait for a biz to have these days to stay on the radar of Charlotte's culinary-minded.
One thing we couldn't really handle was the noise level. We were sitting across from one another and yelling to hear each others' words. Wonder if there would be an option for sound dampening on the 2nd floor? Also, the natural light that comes in with the sunset was blinding. Curtains will definitely be a must in the coming weeks.
My biggest critique is the parking situation. Goodness gracious. Everywhere you can park around the building is permanently taken and other parking spaces around that part of plaza are marked with what seems like "PARK HERE AND DIE" types of signs. If they can work something out with local parking spaces after regular biz hours for surrounding businesses or look into comped valet perhaps, it would serve them well.
I think TPR has some serious potential with that space. Their menu and beer list will definitely see some tweaking and I look forward to the result. Like many new places, there will be many changes made for flow, better service, and overall experience. I'm definitely a fan and the service and experience given to us will have us coming back in the near future. The views alone from the roof will keep us coming back on cool, clear nights!
Glad we had a chance to sample this joint so early! Welcome to the neighborhood!
Cheers.
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