Doing & Dining: Experiencing Art in Charlotte

From the corner of an eclectic french bakery, a bodyless Beethoven with a furrowed brow and a lampshade hat insisted we call him a cab.

Fantastical street art showcasing ''good vibes'' ushered us toward a colorful Uptown alleyway.

Bacon-wrapped figs trapped us in a perfect mix of sweet and savory, then left us craving an encore.

My family wanted art, and Charlotte gave it to us! The equally satisfying aspect was experiencing it all on a budget, a consistent goal for this blog. A day of doing and dining should be fun, memorable, and relatively inexpensive.

THE ART OF FOOD

We strolled into The Artisan's Palate on an early weekday afternoon. If there was a lunch crowd, we'd just missed it. Occasional clanks of silverware mixed with shared laughs across tables and random snippets of conversation as we settled in. With plentiful sunlight brightening up the space, a server took our orders and catered to other patrons. We even caught sporadic glimpses of cooks moving about in the partially visible kitchen.

Located in the NoDa arts district, the restaurant was one of the top search results we found while looking for an ''artistic food experience'' in Charlotte, NC. Upon entering, you're surrounded by locally created artwork (all for sale) and freeform designs on some of the walls. At the back, in a more intimate setting, is a monthly rotating gallery which also features works by locals.

This woman-owned and -operated restaurant serves farm-to-table meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. With the addition of a wine bar and craft cocktails, it makes for a perfectly versatile gathering space. Community and inclusion, with a strong focus on supporting female artists, is the mission of The Artisan's Palate. Mark, Alora, Vivia, and I collectively enjoyed our time there, and we highly suggest giving their pillowy ciabatta bread sandwiches and bacon-wrapped figs a try.

1218 E 36th St A, Charlotte, NC 28205, (980) 209-9168

ART AND THE CITY

Whether walking or driving, you’ll find creativity everywhere in The Queen City. Make your way Uptown to see it in museums and on sculpture-lined sidewalks. Admire street art adorning walls of businesses, and simultaneously take notice of the shapes, angles, and curves of buildings. Architecture is art! While exploring the Uptown area, my family also found artistry in a quiet, dessert-filled coffee shop.

SWEET ART

You'll need a moment to process the surroundings when you step through the doors of this French cafe and bakery. Expect to do double takes! Portraits and paintings cover the walls, scents of coffee and sugar drift through all three floors, French cabaret music jangles from mounted speakers. Don't be surprised if you question whether you've entered Amélie's French Bakery… or Alice's Wonderland. Either way, your senses will be teased from head to toe.

Choose from four Amélie's sites in Charlotte. We've visited two of the Parisian nirvanas, the latest being the Uptown location. This is where we encountered bodyless Beethoven, abstract chandeliers, and then exited with a decorative box of brownie cheesecakes, fresh fruit tarts, and other treats.

380 S College St, Charlotte, NC 28202, (704) 899-0088

An intentional day of pursuing art in this vibrant Mecklenburg County city was time well spent. Charlotte's got a lot to experience, from delectable food to captivating people, places, and things.

A few more art-focused places to explore in Charlotte:

doing and diningTandra WilkersonCharlotte NC, NoDa, Charlotte's got a lot, The Artisan's Palate, Amélie's French BakeryComment