September 2016 - Eat it Charlotte

Address: 1601 E 7th St, Charlotte, NC 28204 The Fig Tree, in my humble opinion, is the best restaurant in Charlotte, North Carolina...roll credits. Ok, let me expand; every time I visited this establishment I consistently have a top notch meal accompanied by exceptional service. This is something that has not changed in the 12 plus years I have been in Charlotte. The restaurant is the perfect place to take your family for their birthday or where you celebrate your anniversary, or where you go to stage the requisite..I think I love you..but I digress. There are many places in the Queen City to go for event dinners, but no place in the city combines food, service, atmosphere and value like Fig Tree. I was fortunate to visit this restaurant once again last week and once again had a spectacular meal. The Good: From the beginning to the end I loved every aspect of my meal, the team seemed to be on point to do everything perfectly. The restaurant is located in the Elizabeth neighborhood, inside a historic home called the Lucas House, which gives it a warm, cozy atmosphere. One has the option to eat either downstairs or on the upper level (I prefer the second level) or out on their patio, which is set up more like a front porch. With that being said, whichever area you are seated in you will not be disappointed, their rooms are elegant and quiet with the effervescent fireplaces. The second level has an even more private atmosphere and gives the feeling of having dinner is someone's living room. Once seated, you will find some of the best service in the city, I have yet to experience any negatives with waitstaff. The meal comes out at a perfect pace, not too slowly, but not so rushed that you don't have time to enjoy the evening. The real star of the experience is always the food, and my last visit was no exception. To begin, the appetizers are excellent, we had both the grilled octopus and the stuffed calamari, which are highly recommended. I especially loved the calamari (pictured below); this isn't your garden variety calamari that has to mask old squid with a pound of breading ( do not get me started on the masquerade of marinara..) The calimari has almost no breading to it, letting the flavors of the squid shine through. The inside of the calamari is stuffed with Chorizo, which gave it a nice kick of heat, but was not over powering. My only complaint about the dish, was that there was not more of it, which usually says a lot. I have tried numerous entrees in my years of frequenting Fig Tree, most recently I ordered the Veal Chop (pictured above) and was not disappointed. Fig Tree lets the flavor of its meat speak for itself, it melts like butter upon slicing. It is paired with shrimp, which while I found odd, I am not going to complain about additional shrimp under most...ummm any circumstances. Other stars on the menu include the Elk Chop, Grouper with Lobster and the Salmon. The menu is constantly changing and may differ from what is online, but that should not discourage you. The portions of the entrees are also huge for a fine dining restaurant, you get more than enough food (you will get enough, I can always eat more). When the Veal Chop came out I felt like Fred Flintstone when they delivered the dinosaur rib to his car..sigh, okay, I'm back.. Even though you are getting some of the best food and service in Charlotte you aren't paying exorbitant prices. Yes, it is a fine dining restaurant, so you will pay more than average, but not that much more. I have gotten out of there for two, with drinks, appetizer and entrees for about $120; which is more than reasonable for what you are getting. If you read my last review of The Liberty (you should have..no really, go back and read it..) I mentioned I paid only slightly less than that for a couple of average burgers. Don't get me wrong, if you truly want to spend a lot here, believe me you can, especially with some of the higher price wines. It's just that you don't have to spend an arm and a leg to get an incredible meal. The Bad: I will keep this short because I have very little to complain about, and for those who know me this is rare. One area that needs improving is parking, at times it feels a little tight. The lot is set up around a bit awkwardly and it may be difficult to get a spot during the busier hours. Second, the size of the appetizers, at times they can be on the small side. This is offset by the fact that they are exquisite in quality and you are given plenty of food with your main course. Having said this, I don't think you would be missing out on too much if you skipped the appetizer. The Ugly: I have one major gripe with Fig Tree, that is one of their dessert items: Dear Owners of Fig Tree, please visit New Orleans and stop by Café Du Monde and find out how a proper Beignet looks/tastes. I am not sure what those donuts are that you are serving (with the delicious dipping sauce), I am just saying they do not reassemble a Beignet. This is not to say I don't like the dessert, it just tastes more like a great Chinese donut ...from a buffet. I might be a bit of a snob, since I just came back from New Orleans last month, but I know how a proper Beignet should taste.. The Verdict, Fine Dining, 8.5 out of 10: In my opinion, this is the best restaurant experience you will get in Charlotte, you will not find a better place in the area. It may not be as good as some of the amazing places I have been to in other cities such as High Cotton in Charleston, Babbo in New York, or Commanders Palace in New Orleans (hence the 8.5 rather than a 9), but it holds "its own" and is definitely in the same class, and that is good company, indeed. Fig Tree is the best restaurant in Charlotte, NC .. this is a statement that both TripAdvisor and I can finally agree upon..