Happy Summer! There is so much going on!

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Happy Summer from your littleSpoon!

Admittedly.. it’s been a hot minute since our last post… We have had a lot going on! Thank you to everyone that has supported our littleSpoon over the last year and we are grateful for your continued support. 🙂

The new addition to our family has kept us all busy and we hope that everyone one of you visit our newest concept, COMIDA in Plaza Midwood soon! littleSpoon’s little sister boasts Modern Mexican cuisine and like Spoon & brunch.. it’s not your momma’s Mexican.

For those of you that love us as much as #littleSpoonluvsu, you know that our new Executive Chef has taken the kitchen by storm! Ryan Allen has now been a part of the littleSpoon family since December and has spent the last six months building a team of talented cooks to shake up the menu and continue to push the bites in #boozebitesbeats keeping your lunch and brunch fun and funky.  The next time you’re in, pop your head at the kitchen window and give a nod to our WuTang clad chef. 🙂

In honor of Charlotte’s patio perfect nights we are introducing our ‘Summer Dining Series’ presented every Thursday night through August. In lieu of TK, we have 12 Special Events planned to keep your Thursday evenings interesting and fun throughout the summer.

We kick off the series on Thursday, June 9th  at 7pm with Fish Camp 2.0!  Chef Ryan and his team are offering a redux on Fish Camp Faves. The series continues through August with everything from casual BBQ dinners to a delicious Champagne dinner, and everything in between.  Celebrate LS’ 2nd Birthday with a Korean Dinner on July 21st with the dining series ending on August 25the with a “Dirty Thirty” dinner presented by LS’s very own GM, Steve Roth & Friends celebrating Chef Ryan’s  30th Birthday.

We all know that littleSpoon is the perfect place to kick it for brunch- but you really should see the way it glows at night! in addition to our Summer Dining Series, keep us in mind for private events. 😉

(yes.. we said private events.. your chance to have littleSpoon all to your yourself.. you and your motley crew that is..) 

littleSpoon is also happy to share that we are  launching our box lunch and outside catering menus.  Your opportunity to bring the littleSpoon love in to your home or office.

Additional information is available on our Website, MailingList, @littleSpoonEatery and on Facebook. For private events email Steve directly at [email protected] or give us a call at 704.496.9908.

Happy Summer!!!

Best Dishes,

The Team@littleSpoon

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Chef Miles Selected for 2015 Fire in the City!

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Join us while we cheer on Chef Miles Payne, Sunday March 22nd for the first round of the
‘It’s Got to be Carolina Competition Dining Series’!
Miles will be competing against John Forte, from Southminster Retirement Community
in a 6 course dinner battle with you as a judge.

Festivities begin at 6pm.
Be there or be square!
Click on ‘We Love Miles!’ to purchase tickets!

We Love Miles!

Korean Dinner February 19th!

Happy Lunar New Year from all of us @littleSpoon!

This year, Lunar New Year falls on Thursday, February 19th.
In honor of this auspicious day, we are taking a page from my heritage, with a five-course Korean tasting menu.

Join us for an evening of traditional Korean entrees and BonChon!

Lunar New Year Menu!

BonChon
Potato Salad
JopChae
Cabbage KimChee
Radish KimChee
Pickled Radish
Pickled Cucumber
GoChuJang

1.
KimBop.
Roasted Seaweed/Sticky Rice/Carrot/
Egg/Kale/Pickled Radish.
ManDu.
Wonton Wrapper/Tofu/Cabbage/
Carrot/Onion. Soy Ginger Sauce.

2.
BiBimBop
Sticky Rice/BeanSprouts/Spinach/
Carrot/RunnyEgg/GoChuJang.

3.
ThukBoKi
Hand made RiceCake/PorkBelly/
GoChuJang/Stock/Scallion.

4.
Kalbi.
Korean marinated Short Rib/
Korean Chili Pepper/LCF Bibb Lettuce.

5.
Thuk-Guk
HandMade RiceCake ‘Coins’/
Ox-Tail/Mandu/Consume.

Thursday, February 19th, 7pm
$85/Person
Call or email littleSpoon for reservations.

Whiskey. Whiskey. Whiskey.

over the river and through the woods, to pappy van winkles we go…

along with puffy vests, scarves and uggs, november brings kentucky mash home to littleSpoon.  as the temperature drops and the wind picks up, there is nothing like a little brown liquor to warm your heart and keep a smile on your face.

our bourbon journey starts with benchmark old #8. this rye recipe bourbon has won countless awards for taste and value and serves as the perfect backdrop for our bourbon based scratch cocktails.  three cocktails have made their debut this month and are quickly becoming favorites among patrons, staff and ownership. Each cocktail begins with benchmark #8, shaken and stirred with fresh seasonal ingredients to create delicious elixirs that speak to both seasoned and novice whiskey drinkers.

“Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough.” Mark Twain

FARMER BROWN: a nod to Thornton Burgess’ written adventures of Peter Rabbit.

Benchmark #8/Frangelico/Carrot/Lemon/Turbinado/CreoleBitters/SeaSalt

HAPA: ha•pa (hä’pä) adj. 1. Slang. of mixed racial heritage with partial roots in Asian and/or Pacific Islander ancestry. n. 2. Slang. a person of such ancestry. {der./Hawaiian: hapa haole. (half white)}

Benchmark #8/Asian Pear/Maple/Cava/Rosemary

Antidote: Will cure whatever ails you.  

Benchmark #8/Ginger/Lemon/Bitters/Honey.

(in addition, a proper Sazerac will make it’s debut next week)

in addition to these addictive (you’ll order another round) cocktails,  our journey continues on within the Buffalo Trace Distillery family…. hoping to earn (someday) an allocation of the elusive Pappy Van Winkle.  A whiskey so sought after, that men and women alike scour the internet and wishfully cross their fingers and  pray for the small hope that their allocation lottery number comes up.  we at littleSpoon have now started our own quest.  our own very personal (and for profit) journey toward a Pappy allocation.

the plan is easy enough, but we will need your help.  we will do our part in keeping the restaurant stocked (legally) with as many Buffalo Trace Distillery whiskeys as we can get our hands on.  benchmark#8/larceny/Buffalo Trace/EagleRare Single Barrel/Stagg Jr/Sazerac Rye to name a few- look for additions as they become available. #h8st8runABC

but  you must promise to drink them.   drink them cubed or drink them neat, but drink them all- and let’s drink a lot of them and let’s hashtag too, all in hopes that the pappy van winkle gods will smile upon littleSpoon and splash some liquid gold our way.

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Liabtion. [lahy-bey-shuh n]

Liabtion. [lahy-bey-shuh n]

Noun.

  1. a pouring out of wine or other liquid in honor of a deity. (one for the homies)
  2. the liquid poured out.
  3. an intoxicating beverage, as wine, especially when drunk in ceremonial or celebrative situations.

Celebration. [seləˈbrāSHən]

Noun.

  1. the action of marking one’s pleasure at an important event or occasion by engaging in enjoyable, typically social, activity.

Libation Celebration. [lahy-bey-shuh n seləˈbrāSHən]

  1. The first and last Thursday night of every month at littleSpoon, from 6pm- 10pm.
  2. Scratch cocktails and snacks dominate in a festive setting.

Chef Miles’ October menu features small bites and snacks that offer the best of what the season has to offer. Utilizing locally raised proteins and global inspirations, our new menu of snacks are sure to please every boozing palate. The menu may seem small, but it is mighty!

October Snack Time.

– Grilled Malpeque Oysters/Bloody Mary Butter
– Buttered Brioche Toast /Shrimp/Sriracha Aioli.
– Heirloom Potatoes B&T&F/Bacon/Chive/Cream. (B&T&F= baked, torn and fried)
– Corn Tortillas/Braised Lamb/Sesame Leaf/Scallion/Red Pepper
– Grilled wings/Aji Amarillo Butter.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

I would like to thank everyone who helped make our first couple of months such a huge success! It is truly an honor to be embraced by the Queen City.   I could not have anticipated the out pouring of support and love from our guests, neighbors, farmers and the independent restaurant community. Charlotte truly feels like home.

For those of you that have followed us from conception, I genuinely appreciate your patience and hope the wait was well worth it. It took about ten months from inspiration to brick and mortar. It was the longest ten months of my life. No one can prepare you for the stress and frustration of building a restaurant from scratch! Between delays in permitting and personnel changes the road was bumpy at times, but in the end I have a gorgeous restaurant with a staff and menu I am very proud of. J

Like all new businesses, we faced our share of hurdles in our opening months. Thankfully, as a team, we have been able to iron out many of the initial kinks we faced and are finding efficient and successful solutions making littleSpoon a better place to work and dine.

I am very excited about what we have planned for the coming months! As we grow and find our rhythm for success, expect exciting menu changes and fun events!

October sees the launch of our first round of ‘libation celebrations’ and several dinner events.

Keep an eye on our events calendar for dates and details!

Tequila.

October Cocktails promise a smooth introduction to the glory of tequila and a respectful nod to our old friend vodka.

As a So-Cal ex pat, tequila runs in my blood. It is the cure all for whatever ails you. Have a cold? Drink some tequila. Your relationship is over? Drink some tequila. New job? Drink some tequila. You get the picture. It becomes a part of you. And there is A LOT of it.

I am not talking about the one-night-stand with Jose that left you feeling lonely with only Montezuma’s revenge as a reminder. The range in flavor profile and quality available to those who live in ‘non-control states’ can be overwhelming and exhilarating at the same time. It’s heavenly really.

Tequila is distilled from blue agave mash. Its history predates the 16th century Mexico, with early incarnations distilled by the Aztec Indians. As the Spanish conquistadors ran low on their brandy supply, they began distilling blue agave mash to wet their whistle…which begins the journey of the tequila we know and love now.

This month’s tequila cocktails promise to usher in a new love and appreciation for the delicious agave nectar.

Gently presenting tequila in new, but familiar cocktails, promise a rekindling of a perhaps once sour relationship. J

AGAVE.

El burro. Jalapeño infused tequila/Cilantro/Ginger Beer/Lime.

Paloma. Tequila/Aperol/Grapefruit Soda/Chili Salt/Mint.

Rueditas. Tequila/Jack Rudy Tonic/Soda/Lime.

 

Dear Vodka.

A little snack time nod to my dear friend Vodka.

A shocking trend is occurring across the country. Vodka bottles are being banished off shelves and forced to live lonely lives in dusty storerooms and steak houses across the country. Long gone are the days of colorful Absolute advertisements, Cosmopolitans and the race for the purest, cleanest and most distilled spirit.

In the era of handle bar moustaches = mixologist, vodka, my friend, has been sidelined. So I give you a small collection of cocktails that bring me back to when vodka was king. The 90’s.

Jane’s Daily. Vodka/Lemon Shrub/Earl Grey Simple Syrup

Lucy’s Lunch. Vodka/Celery/Tomatillo/Jalapeno/Basil/White Balsamic

Hydration. Vodka/Vivreau Water/ LemonGrass

creative by The Plaid Penguin