|
Welcome to the 1st serving of Tha Daily Special Newsletter!
Yoooo Reader , In this week's serving, you'll find my thoughts on Keith Lee's visit to Charlotte, reviews of three food festivals I attended (and whether they were worth it), a new video game restaurant that just opened in Charlotte, food being delivered by drones, YouTube's Charlotte creator event, my thoughts on what has happened to the cookout, and much more.
Each issue of this newsletter will be called a "serving" to make it easy to reference specific editions as we move forward. Occasionally, you'll also receive quick-read emails called "bites," so keep an eye out for those as well.
Thank you all for reading!
|
|
|
Latest Posts and Articles
|
|
Chris - Chipotle Doorman
|
|
Midnight Society - Gaming Restaurant
|
|
|
|
Napkin Notes
Random thoughts this week
I recently stayed in a hotel (Hyatt House) that had a full kitchen in it. This really should be the standard. How did we get away from hotels having suitable kitchens in them with a large fridge, microwave, small stovetop, and a few cabinets? It was so convenient to have the basics INSIDE of the hotel room.
|
|
|
|
On the Stove
BACON JAM SMASH BURGERS - This rich and smoky bacon jam is the perfect blend of crispy bacon, caramelized onions, brown sugar, and a touch of maple syrup, all slow-simmered to perfection. With its irresistible balance of sweet, salty, and umami flavors, this bacon jam is a game-changer for burgers, grilled cheese, charcuterie boards, and even breakfast favorites like eggs and toast. Whether you’re looking for a gourmet spread or a unique homemade gift, this bacon jam is guaranteed to impress!
Click here to see the full recipe on my website
|
|
|
"The only impossible journey is the one you never begin.
unknown
|
|
|
|
Keith Lee Visits the Carolinas
Here's where I sent Keith Lee in Charlotte
The popular TikTok food reviewer recently visited the Carolinas on his food tour. When he announced he was coming, his comments were filled with hate for the Charlotte food scene. People were telling him not to come here, as it's become trendy to bash our food offerings - though those same people never mention which restaurants they've actually tried.
Thankfully, I received a call to help curate a list of places Keith should visit while in Charlotte.
He and his team arrived in the Queen City on a Sunday night with plans to explore restaurants on Monday. This made things a bit more challenging, since unfortunately a large number of our best mom-and-pop restaurants and food trucks that he wanted to try are closed on Mondays. Still, I was able to put together a curated list of spots open on Mondays, along with a separate list of must-try places that are typically closed on that day—perfect for a future visit.
Keith ended up visiting Crav'n Caribbean and even gave me a shoutout in his video, which turned out to be a true blessing for one of my favorite local businesses. He and his team then continued their trek through the Carolinas before heading to NYC to host his own festival that weekend.
Despite all the negativity aimed at the Charlotte and Carolinas food scene, Keith said he enjoyed his time here.
Should I release the full list I sent to Keith?
|
|
|
Festival Season is here
My thoughts on 3 recent food festivals that I visited
SHROPFEST: The first festival I visited was ShropFest at Phillips Farms in Cary, NC. This was a wings and ribs food festival so of course I had to be there. The location was great - not only were there food trucks, but also plenty of fun activities and games, and it wasn’t overly crowded.
I arrived around 1 p.m., and while some of the food trucks had already sold out for the day, I was still able to grab several tasty items—including ribs, mac and cheese, chicken and waffles, and a jambalaya egg roll. This was a competition and the winner for best ribs was actually Big Wally's BBQ from Charlotte I’d definitely do this festival again.
DREAM ASIA FESTIVAL: The next day I visited the Dream Asia Festival of which I was super excited about as I love all the Asian cuisines. This festival WAS NOT a good experience unfortunately despite a lot of potential. It was over crowded, very expensive, and the food items that we had just were not that good. To start, parking was $10 to park at the fairgrounds and then most food items were $20+. We paid $25 for a single beef skewer that wasn't that great. There was no line/crowd management and the $40 VIP area was a bit underwhelming. I'm not sure if I'd rush to do this one again.
Philippines Fest: This festival was GREAT. I spent a couple of months in the Philippines, so I love the cuisine—and I thoroughly enjoyed my time at this one. All the vendors took real pride in what they were serving, and the food was BUSSIN’. Some of the more popular stalls had lines, but there were also plenty of stalls with little to no wait for those who didn’t want to stand around.
They do this one twice a year—see y’all in October!
|
|
|
Youtube's Charlotte Creator event
Youtube Creator Collective Event
YouTube recently hosted an event for local Charlotte creators at Pins Mechanical. The event was sort of invite-only, but the link to register was shareable, so anyone could apply. I’d describe it as a casual creator networking event. There were no panels or YouTube strategy sessions, but just a great opportunity to mix, mingle, and make connections.
Charlotte has a ton of impactful creators, so it’s always fun to have a night dedicated to building community. I was told YouTube plans to visit all 50 states, so this will likely become an annual event.
I did see quite a few people on Threads expressing frustration about not getting into the event. I totally understand, but I also encourage creators to take the initiative and connect with others on their own. We don’t need a YouTube event just to build relationships.
|
|
|
|
|
|
DRONE FOOD DELIVERY has arrived in Charlotte! If you live near the Arboretum, you can now have your food delivered straight to your home via drone. I was invited to check out the launch—and honestly, it was pretty cool to see in action.
The company behind the service is called Wing, and they’ve partnered with DoorDash to begin offering drone deliveries in select areas.
Ordering is super simple. If you're in an eligible area, you’ll see a new “Drone Delivery” category on DoorDash. Just order like you normally would, then select drone as your delivery option. In many cases, it’s actually faster than traditional delivery by car—and since there's no need to tip, it can be a little cheaper too.
One unexpected perk: it gave me peace of mind knowing no one was handling or tampering with my food. I know new tech like this can feel a little intimidating, but I’m a fan. Wing has already completed over 450,000 deliveries, and their drones are built to handle inclement weather just fine.
|
|
|
|
|
I recently posted a new video game restaurant called Midnight Society that I thought was a really cool concept. I was there for 3 hours and it was completely empty. They have full gaming systems such as PS5, Xbox, and Switch and sections for you and your friends to play. It's also a restaurant so they have food and desserts that were executed really well. See the viral post here. Needless to say, it's no longer empty.
|
|
|
|
|
|
G.58 Cuisine
While I was in the Cary, NC area for one of the food festivals I mentioned earlier in the newsletter, I stumbled upon a gem called G.58 Cuisine and it completely blew us away. It just so happened to be right next to our hotel, and we’re so glad we gave it a try.
This was easily one of the best Chinese restaurants I’ve ever been to. The ambiance is upscale, and the food is executed to perfection. We tried the short rib, orange chicken, king oyster mushrooms, dry pot cauliflower, and spring rolls. You can also get a whole peking duck. The prices are definitely on the higher end, but in my opinion, it was absolutely worth it.
If you're ever in the area, I highly recommend checking it out.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pop-Tarts Ice Cream
In the last newsletter, I mentioned that I was searching for the Viral Pop-Tart Ice Cream sandwiches - well, I found them. I was able to grab all 3 flavors of strawberry, brown sugar cinnamon, and chocolate. They had people raving about them online, but honestly they were nothing to rush and get. They all had good flavor, but the texture of frozen pop tarts wasn't great. I really do feel like this would be great to make yourself at home by toasting 2 pop-tarts and adding your own ice cream in between. The warm pop tarts and ice cream would compliment each other well then. .
|
|
|
|
What happened to the cookouts?
Over the past few summers, I’ve noticed more and more people talking about how cookouts, house parties, and gatherings like them have become less and less common. It got me thinking - why is that? Is it laziness? A lack of knowledge when it comes to hosting or grilling? Or maybe it’s just that people don’t feel like they have a real community to bring together anymore. All of these could be playing a role in the decline of what used to be a staple in so many of our lives. These kinds of events are what build real community.
As I gave it more thought, I started to believe that the biggest reason is housing. These days, it’s simply not attainable for most people to own a home with enough space to comfortably host cookouts or house parties. A generation ago, most jobs paid enough for individuals to afford a house, but that’s not the reality anymore. Now, more people than ever are living in apartments or shared housing, which makes it tough to learn skills like grilling, fire management, or even just how to host in general.
What used to be a regular part of holidays has become a rare occasion, leaving a lot of people searching for connection and community. Even for me, it wasn’t until I bought my home in 2022 that I really had the space and opportunity to learn how to grill and host properly. Luckily, I love to cook, so learning the art of cooking with coals and fire was something I naturally wanted to do. But I know for others, the idea of hosting can feel intimidating, especially if it’s not something they grew up around.
It’s definitely an interesting shift, and one that says a lot about how our living situations and lifestyles have changed. But me? I’ll always be team PULL UP TO THE COOKOUT.
What do you all think is the reason behind this trend?
|
|
|
Bite-Sized News
- Whataburger is opening its first restaurant in NC this week on May 29 (WBTV)
- McCormick & Schmick's is closing their final Charlotte location (CLT FIVE)
- Paris Bahn Mi in South Charlotte has already closed after being open less than a year. It has been replaced with Sushi Naru which seems interesting.
|
|
|
Cory - Tha Daily Special
I'm just a food content creator who loves sharing amazing, easy-to-follow recipes and great restaurant recommendations from across the country to inspire your culinary adventures.
|
|
|
|
|
|
