FORKS & THE ROAD

Charlotte, North Carolina, was founded in 1768 but don’t go expecting to see a quaint historic town. Today, Charlotte is the second largest metropolitan area in the Deep South. Most of its buildings are gleaming modern structures and streets are punctuated with contemporary sculptures and small art parks. Museums and good eats are a-plenty. Within the Mint Museum, is Halcyon Restaurant, Flavors of the Earth, with a farmhouse chic vibe. The local, organic, seasonal dishes are truly tasty as are the cocktails. The Mango Say No cocktail is a spectacular spicy drink made with Junior Johnson’s Midnight Moon Moonshine, jalapeno pepper jam and a touch of mango. Among the historic structures that remain is the Dunhill Hotel in Uptown, designed in 1929. It has recently renovated luxurious rooms and the Asbury restaurant where Chef Chris Coleman draws on his southern roots to create modern interpretations of classics. On the menu for its popular Sunday brunch are dishes such as chicken in a biscuit, southern-style benedict and country fried Krenz ranch steak. 5Church, just around the corner from the Dunhill, draws celebrities when they are in town as does Fahrenheit, atop the Hyatt Place Hotel with a breathtaking view of Charlotte’s skyline, especially at sundown. At Fahrenheit, Chef Rocco Whalen, a Wolfgang Puck protégé, fashions Mediterranean and Asian accented dishes. On the drink list is a special selection of eight Moscow Mules; cocktails with ginger beer as the key ingredient. About 13 miles from Charlotte is Cabarrus County, “Where Racing Lives.” About 90 per cent of all race shops in the USA are here. Just prior to the running of the legendary Coca-Cola 600 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Charlotte hosts Speed Street, a three day food, drink and music street festival that’s one of the largest in the southeast. charlottesgotalot.com