300 East

I had this very thoughtful book review post all ready to upload here today. However, I had an all-too-incredible meal on Monday night that I feel obligated to relate so you can go try this restaurant as soon as possible. For those of you that subscribe to Groupon in Charlotte, you may remember about three weeks ago there was a deal for a restaurant called 300 East. Not surprisingly, this restaurant resides in a house at 300 East Blvd in Dilworth and is worth the trip with or without a Groupon.

The head chef at 300 East is Kristine Schmidt and her menu is full of local and sustainable ingredients. Many of the entrees come with mixed greens from local producers and the desserts are made on the premises by pastry chef Ashley Boyd (see picture below – Earl Grey sorbet!). Their menu consists of unique appetizers, a variety of salads, gourmet pizzas and inspired entrees all at prices ranging from a mid-week snack to an anniversary dinner.

I ordered their pork porterhouse made from Niman Ranch pork. Niman is a network of family farms that practice sustainable agriculture, use no hormones or antibiotics, and raise all their stock humanely. You can tell from the exceptional quality of this meat that 300 East didn’t use your run-of-the-mill pork supplier – it was truly decadent.  We also ordered their pimento cheese appetizer that is made in-house, their soup of the day (a black bean puree with lime), their black bean and green chile tortilla and finally the Earl Grey sorbet.  Everything was absolutely amazing.

All these details add up to a menu that is full of delicious meals in a range of prices that highlight sustainable and local options. I cannot suggest this restaurant enough. Make sure to make reservations if you go on a date night – this is not a huge place but well worth the wait!

Note: For those readers not in the Charlotte area, I strongly encourage you to seek out similar restaurants (they are out there!) that buy from farms that produce and support sustainable agriculture. You will not be disappointed in the quality of these products!