Blacow Burger Sushi Bar

 

Located at 517 University Center Boulevard in Charlotte (with another location at 1515 South Tryon Street), Blacow offers burgers, sushi, and Asian fusion cuisine for lunch and dinner seven days a week. There is a full bar, and online ordering is available.

 

Best described as a less expensive and less ostentatious (some would say less fun) version of Cowfish, Blacow more than holds its own. We opted to give it a try for a late post-IKEA Saturday lunch and found plenty of space at the bar. The atmosphere was comfortable if familiar - low lighting and big TVs – but the menu’s variety made up for it. In addition to apps and wings, there are more than half a dozen burger offerings, traditional and specialty sushi rolls, and bento boxes for the taking.

 

My wife and I opted to split an order of kimchi fries, a volcano roll (fried fish, avocado, cream cheese, and spicy tuna on top), and a summer roll (tempura shrimp, avocado, salmon, spicy mayo, and eel sauce). The kimchi fries (pulled pork, fried egg, and kimchi) were a wonder to behold. A massive portion, the fries were salty, the kimchi spicy, and the pork slightly sweet, a balancing of flavors that made the taste buds happy. The sushi wasn’t quite as memorable, but it was flavorful and plated nicely.

 

At $9, $11, and $11, nothing we ordered seemed overpriced, and again, the fries yielded plenty. We did not have long to wait for our food, either. Credit Lauren the bartender and the hard-working sushi chefs for staying on top of everything.

 

Time will tell if a burger sushi bar concept makes its way to the Triad. Until then, Blacow is a name to remember for Queen City visits.

Dandelion Market

Located at 118 West 5^th Street in Charlotte, Dandelion Market is a full-service bar with a small plates menu. There are occasional drink specials and a brunch on weekends.

Named for a Dublin landmark of the 1970s, Dandelion Market does little to evoke its Celtic lineage, but it is nevertheless a comfortable spot to grab a bite to eat. The dimly lit brick-walled interior, with its chalkboard specials and dried goods sacks on the walls, is the definition of cozy and quaint. The small plates dinner menu offers everything from appetizers to surf and turf to veggies and sides with a variety of culinary influences, leaving you free to cobble together a flavorful Frankenstein of a meal.

My wife and I rolled the dice with a spinach and artichoke dip, a fried green tomato caprese, a shrimp and grit cake, and a pork belly with a brownie-and-caramel-topped-ice cream combo for dessert. Some dishes were stronger than others, but the food was generally on-point. Dandelion Market does sauces very well, as both the fig balsamic accompanying the tomato and the peach-green tomato salsa accompanying the pork belly were excellent. The pork belly had a melt-in-your-mouth quality that I appreciated though my wife found it too fatty for her tastes. The bread that came with the dip was oven-fresh, and the ice cream betwixt the brownies offered some welcome vanilla bean notes that played well off of the salted caramel.

As with any tapas place, pricing can be a bit slippery. Most plates run $7-$12. Count on at least two per person, and it adds up. The skillful execution and artful plating take away some of the sting, and the efficient kitchen and attentive servers ensure you won’t have long to wait between plates.

With an appealing menu, an inviting atmosphere, and a front-of-house and kitchen that both seem to know what they are doing, Dandelion Market has all the components needed to deliver a memorably good meal.

8.25/10