Charlotte needs a restaurant like Bardo. While "foodie" cities like New York, San Francisco, Toronto each had Modern* style restaurants, Charlotte had NONE. For many deprived years, if your palate craved an eclectic fix, you had to get on a plane. Now, you only have to take a short trip from Uptown. If you want to be extra hip and young, take a scooter!
The Nowaiters have a long restaurant history and seasoned palates, and many dicey Charlotte restaurant experiences. Voted Best Restaurant by Charlotte Magazine in 2019 and Best New Restaurant by the Charlotte Agenda, Bardo had high expectations to fulfill, and within one hour, they met ours.
Located in the hip South End, Bardo is in a converted garage-like space with little signage to alert the passer-bys. The dining room is sparse of decoration and the open kitchen is Scandinavian-like in its cleanliness and movement. Electronica music beats lightly in the background, and waitstaff seem to move to the beat. With few tables seated at 6 PM, we gathered the attention of most service staff during out meal.
The center stage kitchen creates carefully arranged, locally foraged dishes from a variety of food cultures. Menu items such as Aged Ribeye contain local beef, Carolina gold rice, yet is also served with kimchi, most likely made from local cabbage. Scallops are served with pad thai and bamboo rice, and the asparagus was served as a tempura, but using the rare spring ingredient ramps. We also reordered Bardo's signature dish, the "egg and grain", which is exactly how what it states, only delicately presented and more savory than your standard morning fare. The three dessert choices are all sweet and savory, such as carrot cake with cardamom, and ricotta with herbs and oxtails; each bite had a nip of acidity, yet kept you returning for more until your plated was wiped. While all dishes are meant to be shareable, they can also (and probably should be) eaten individually.
Meanwhile, signature cocktails and an uncommon wine list made for hard decisions. Bardo strays from its local roots to introduce small wineries from far and wide. Grapes available by the glass included standard chardonnay and pinot noir, to a chancier Malvasia Bianca (canned wine!) and Cabernet Franc. The cocktails stick with Bardo's sweet and savory theme by combining flavors such as banana cinnamon and rum in a drink called "Cruel Summer", or Gin, lemongrass, and mint in the fittingly named "South Mint."
While the Nowaiters could have tried every drink, and probably needed a few more dishes, we had places to go, a symphony to see, and babies to return home to. But we will be returning again and again, and then maybe get a burger afterwards.
Food: 43
Beverage: 15
Service: 20
Ambience: 17 (bathroom is awkwardly in the front of house)
Total: 95
* In this review, a "Modern" restaurant is one that experiments with local ingredients in the essence of the original ElBulli, for former iconic Modern restaurant which was in Spain.
The Nowaiters have a long restaurant history and seasoned palates, and many dicey Charlotte restaurant experiences. Voted Best Restaurant by Charlotte Magazine in 2019 and Best New Restaurant by the Charlotte Agenda, Bardo had high expectations to fulfill, and within one hour, they met ours.
Located in the hip South End, Bardo is in a converted garage-like space with little signage to alert the passer-bys. The dining room is sparse of decoration and the open kitchen is Scandinavian-like in its cleanliness and movement. Electronica music beats lightly in the background, and waitstaff seem to move to the beat. With few tables seated at 6 PM, we gathered the attention of most service staff during out meal.
The center stage kitchen creates carefully arranged, locally foraged dishes from a variety of food cultures. Menu items such as Aged Ribeye contain local beef, Carolina gold rice, yet is also served with kimchi, most likely made from local cabbage. Scallops are served with pad thai and bamboo rice, and the asparagus was served as a tempura, but using the rare spring ingredient ramps. We also reordered Bardo's signature dish, the "egg and grain", which is exactly how what it states, only delicately presented and more savory than your standard morning fare. The three dessert choices are all sweet and savory, such as carrot cake with cardamom, and ricotta with herbs and oxtails; each bite had a nip of acidity, yet kept you returning for more until your plated was wiped. While all dishes are meant to be shareable, they can also (and probably should be) eaten individually.
Meanwhile, signature cocktails and an uncommon wine list made for hard decisions. Bardo strays from its local roots to introduce small wineries from far and wide. Grapes available by the glass included standard chardonnay and pinot noir, to a chancier Malvasia Bianca (canned wine!) and Cabernet Franc. The cocktails stick with Bardo's sweet and savory theme by combining flavors such as banana cinnamon and rum in a drink called "Cruel Summer", or Gin, lemongrass, and mint in the fittingly named "South Mint."
While the Nowaiters could have tried every drink, and probably needed a few more dishes, we had places to go, a symphony to see, and babies to return home to. But we will be returning again and again, and then maybe get a burger afterwards.
Food: 43
Beverage: 15
Service: 20
Ambience: 17 (bathroom is awkwardly in the front of house)
Total: 95
* In this review, a "Modern" restaurant is one that experiments with local ingredients in the essence of the original ElBulli, for former iconic Modern restaurant which was in Spain.
