Charlotte Biketoberfest Highlights

Biketoberfest 2022 - Sunday, October 30. 

This annual fundraising event for Sustain Charlotte 

sends participants on a scavenger hunt on two wheels equipped with a passport 

to support local businesses, visit new destinations, see the infrastructure available to support safer riding, and collect stamps in their passports along the way. 

The after-party was held at Triple C Brewing, where participants exchanged those stamps 

for raffle tickets to win prizes. 

#myqctv #indiefilmgroupnetwork

Charlotte International Arts Festival Hip Hop Weekend Highlights

Celebrating Hip Hop culture, music and artistry! 

Saturday, September 17th - DJ Battles from 4-6pm - 

B-Boy Battles from 6-8pm - 

We Are Hip Hop Dance Showcase 8pm 

Sunday, September 18th - 

We Outside Block Party 12-5pm

Birdsong Brewing Company - Charlotte, NC

1016 N Davidson St, Charlotte, NC 28206 

A lively brewery producing craft beers 

plus a taproom serving flights, pints & growlers.

Sycamore Brewery & Beer Garden

Award-Winning Craft Brewery based in Charlotte, NC. Good times, great beer. 

2161 Hawkins St, Charlotte, NC 28203 Available at your local NC/SC supermarket. 

Ask a store manager about in-stock varieties.

NoDa Brewing Company

Located at 2921 N Tryon St, Charlotte, NC. 

This bar and taproom overlooks a local brewery which offers free tours and features occasional live music. Available at NC/SC supermarkets. Ask a store manager about in-stock varieties.

Catawba Brewing Company

Catawba Brewing Company Charlotte - 933 Louise Ave, Charlotte, NC. 

Get a taste of Carolina Craft Beer covering the whole Southeast.

Catawba Brewing is family owned and operated since 1999. 

Available at most NC/SC supermarkets. Ask a manager about in-stock varieties.

Crown Station Coffee House & Pub

3629 North Davidson Street, Suite 102
Charlotte, NC 28205
Phone: (704) 910-2249

Crown Station is a private club where members come to relax, enjoy drinks, music, and each other’s company. Per the laws of North Carolina, an annual membership fee as well as acknowledgement of club rules are required for all members. An annual membership fee of $1.00 charged upon becoming a member and each year thereafter. Each person who enters must have a valid government issued identification document to establish that they are over 21 years old. (No one under 21 is admitted after 8:30pm) We scan your identification card only to establish your age. The data is not used for any other purposes and is not shared with anyone, as outlined in our Privacy Policy.

Crown Station is a full service coffee house and pub located in the NoDa neighborhood of Charlotte, NC. They feature live music, DJ's and open mics in a cozy setting with a hip atmosphere. 

This pub has become a favorite with the college crowd, offering a change of pace from the formality of other area pubs. The coffee bar opens early and the pub closes late. The laid-back atmosphere is reflected in the live music, open mic and DJ lineup. 

Crown Station offers organic fair trade coffees & teas as well as chai. They feature a full bar selection with a variety of craft beers and premium cocktails.  

The comfortable environment adds to the relaxed atmosphere while spending time with friends or checking out the live entertainment.

For more information including a calendar of events, please visit their website at http://www.crownstationpub.com 

or call (704) 910-2249

Hours of Operation:
Monday
5:00PM - 12:00AM
Tuesday
5:00PM - 12:00AM
Wednesday
11:00AM - 12:00AM
Thursday
11:00AM - 12:00AM
Friday
11:00AM - 2:00AM
Saturday
11:00AM - 2:00AM
Sunday
11:00AM - 12:00AM

Where to Find Cheesesteaks in Charlotte NC

 Where to Find Cheese-Steaks in Charlotte, NC

Part One

Cheddar Provolone Cheese Steak with seasoned fries

When I am on the go on a weekend evening, I want to eat something substantial that can be prepared quickly, yet still relatively whole and unprocessed. Types of fats and calories don’t really concern me at that point, because I am just looking to assist my stomach with soaking up various excess macro-brews and cider. Cheese-Steaks fit squarely into my overlapping agendas. I decided to check out a few places around town and give you my thoughts. Here is part one of a two-part list.

Luigi's Pizza

Shops at Whitehall Commons 

8170 South Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC 28273 
(704) 504-2015

I heard these guys didn’t fool around when I comes to subs and so forth and this intelligence was most definitely confirmed. I ordered my sandwich and sat through a considerable wait, due to several gigantic pizzas being made. But when it arrived, the wait was worthwhile. The sub was ridiculously hot, but that also means it's fresh and once it cooled down I sprinkled some Parmesan on it and tucked in like I was waiting on a bedtime story. It was authentic NY style, just like the pizza. I recommend stopping by.

Steak & Hoagie Shop

903 Eastway Dr. - 3401 South Blvd. - 1542 Stallings Rd.
steaknhoagie.com

This place has been an old standby location since Time immemorial. They have an entire Greek menu as well, formerly known back in the day as “Greekos”, which has now been absorbed into the unified Steak N' Hoagie name. I always customize my order, even though they have a lot of sandwich options, and I typically order the Chicken Philly but I stuck with the steak format and ordered a small “south street” and a small “New Jersey” so I could flip the ingredients around a little on either. Both were good and worth the moderate wait. 

Letty's on Shamrock

2121 Shamrock Drive Charlotte NC 28205
(704) 817-8702
lettysonshamrock.com
I heard about this place from some friends who live in the area and it looked so down-home comfort style that I decided to give it a try. I read that they had a cheesesteak on the menu and when I called to order it I spoke directly with the cook who described it very well. The wait was moderate, but the atmosphere is old-school and pleasant, so I enjoyed a bottled domestic beer, which was on special, while I waited. I have to say that it was one of the best cheesesteaks I ever had. The cheddar cheese on top of the provolone set it off straight like that. Even the fries were good (they were seasoned) and I don’t usually eat fries. If you are in the area I highly recommend them for takeout or stay for a quiet casual meal for two. 

Jack Beagles

3213 N. Davidson St. Charlotte, NC 28205
(704) 334-5140
jackbeagles.com
I was strolling around NoDa after some meetings and was looking to cop some lunch with a cold beverage. I walked into Jack Beagles and sat at the bar. It was very inviting and the staff was friendly. As I checked out the menu, I noticed that they gave many of the dishes colorful nicknames. That could really go either way, I thought to myself, just as I saw the cheesesteak they had called “the stugots”. Italian slang for a variation of “stu cazz” or “stu cazzo” i.e. “My d*ck” or “my balls”, or “my d*ck and my balls” used interchangeably to express defiance or disbelief. It featured grilled pepperoni in addition to the steak. How could I pass on that? I asked the chef to add green peppers as they were not listed in the description. The result…sha-boong. It kicked off like a loose forward. JB's has a good beer selection as well. Highly recommended.

American Deli

3126 Milton Rd, Charlotte, NC 28215

(980) 585-1237

This place is near my house and it's almost always busy. It's located in East Town Market, which makes it a destination location for me unless I need sneakers or baby clothes or overpriced domestic beer from Compare Foods. Traffic is always nuts and people drive and park like a blind monkey with no arms. But none of that matters when you cop hold of this mid 90's meat-fest they call a sandwich. I actually felt bad for my colon. But that's the way the news goes. The wings are pretty good too.

Portofino's

3124 Eastway Dr, Charlotte, NC 28205

(704) 568-7933

There are several Portofino's locations around town, but to get the best cheesesteak, visit a location in a more ethnically diverse area (Sorry, gentrified slapsters). To get the full effect you have to visit a location where the pizza literally sticks to the box. If they hand you a bag with grease spots on it, you know you have something there.

All of the places mentioned have chicken-philly sandwiches and they are just as good as the steaks.

Stay tuned for part two!

Be sure to like, follow and share.

the Sushi Review - Yama Asian Fusion

the Sushi Review - Yama Asian Fusion

Good sushi and decent service, but make no mistake, you are paying for area and atmosphere.

I was impressed by the rustic/contempo decor this establishment, as this area has dozens of cookie-cutter houses and shops. Located in the SouthPark area of Charlotte NC, it's near both shopping and nightlife. The atmosphere is cool, very LA in that it has all the trendy benchmarks of what you would expect from a modern sushi bar. The service was very good for dinner and the Hibachi lunch menu is pretty straightforward, but as we say at Soundboy Magazine, it's always about the Maki, baby. 

If you want to avoid the after work, financial sector drink-pounding office crowd, check them out for lunch. The crowd is a bit more diverse: from corporate types to shop-aholics, hipsters to merchants taking the day off. The dinner crowd by comparison is vibrant and up-tempo, but keep in mind that you run the risk of being seated next to a co-worker birthday celebration or some type of merger or closing celebration of  petty bourgeois excess, unless of course that's your thing. To each their own, but it is what it is.

Both the import and domestic beer selection is above average, just like the sushi prices. They did a pretty good job on the "soundboy" roll (salmon Philly tempura) and overall I would definitely take a date there of whom I was trying to impress. But I recommend that you what you are doing in advance; preview the menu online and be ready to drop a brick (or around hundred bones) for the meal, a moderate wine and the tip. This place is all about location which is reflective in the bill. In conclusion, I would recommend it, if you roll mid 5's like that. 

If you don't, there are literally other raw fish in the proverbial sea.

Skip Pulley - Editor in Chief

the Sushi Review - 18 and Asian Sushi Bar

the Sushi Review - 18 and Asian Sushi Bar

The Sushi Review:

18 Asian and Sushi Bar
9935 Rea Rd Charlotte, NC 28277 
(704) 845-1801

The location of this sushi spot is ideal for those living in or around South Charlotte. Located at 9935 Rea Rd. near the Blakeney area, it is in the perfect place for an early dinner or an after-shopping unwind. The décor is very attractive and the staff is friendly. My main divochka and I sat at the bar because it looked very inviting and cozy in a display of contemporary style. It is also typically the best way to get faster service for 1 to 3 people and ask any questions about the menu to get an immediate answer.

We ordered several different varieties of Maki rolls, including the infamous "Soundboy Roll" (ask for the Philly roll - tempura) and they were all above average. The tempura was done in the crispy-crumble style as opposed to the overly-rich batter fried style, which is healthier I'm sure. The negative reviews that I read about their sushi prior to my visit were about the rice being "mushy". These were from people who were probably used to dried-out rolls or pieces with under-cooked rice. However, that is how some people actually enjoy their sushi and I say to each his/her own. Much of the material we (especially as writers) share about our experiences is subjective. Opinions will of course vary from one individual to the next, so it's best to identify with the author as much as possible.

The beer selection was good and the house Sake was great - when it was hot, so don't fool around and let it cool off too much. The big can of Sapporo can split 2 ways and chases the Sake with ease. My recommendations are the "Green Monster Roll" if you are an avocado fan, or play it safe with the spider roll and the shrimp tempura. Overall the sushi was good and the atmosphere was very inviting. The ambient music was not bad, but a great soundtrack could really turn this spot into a "must try". The prices are slightly above average compared to some other places in the area but that is a reflection of the area itself. Compared to Uptown, Midtown or SouthPark however, the prices are very reasonable. Overall, I recommend it.

If you enjoy these reviews,  Remember to like, share and subscribe!

Skip Pulley - Editor in Chief