#15: [REVIEW] Restaurant Constance
Smoked chicken lettuce wraps, take-home dessert, a wine tasting with Miller High Life
The phrase “farm-to-table” used to mean something. It was a phrase attached to a social movement in the early 2000s that was all about eating food grown closer to home, eating in-season and generally knowing where the hell your food comes from. It was a movement spearheaded by names like Alice Waters and Michael Pollan. But since then, “farm-to-table” has become less about the movement and more of a branding opportunity. I blame Joanna Gaines and the whole “farmhouse chic” trend.
Once Magnolia Homes infected the brains of all the trad wives, shiplap was everywhere and our standard for how far a farm could be from your table was getting pretty fucking loose. Now, if a restaurant just has the “farm-to-table” look, that’s good enough. Who really cares where the farms are or how they do things?
Chef Sam Diminich of Restaurant Constance cares, that’s who.
I’d heard great things about his farm-to-table restaurant in Wesley Heights and I was excited to try it. While I’m not a huge sucker for shiplap, I am a big believer in eating local and supporting small growers.
First impressions
Restaurant Constance has a cute little brick exterior and isn’t located in the bottom of an AI-generated mixed-use development, so that’s something. The restaurant interior is a modest space but it’s inviting, cozy and has an intimate feel.
The vibe is eclectic, with vintage-y nods to typical farm-to-table style, but also unexpected touches that add a little edge. The wall right by the host stand is adorned with vinyl record covers and two skateboard decks with lights attached. The opposite wall shows a projected documentary-style video of the farms and people Diminich works with.
The menu is approachable and offers a nice mix of shareable plates and salads, along with larger entree options. They have a pretty extensive list of non-alcoholic drinks, including mocktails, n/a beer and n/a wine. But they do offer a regular wine and beer list for those who wish to partake in alcohol (me).
Everything we ordered
Drinks
Split a bottle of Jean Vullien & Fils Cremant De Savoie Brut ($60)
Small plates
Smoked chicken lettuce wraps ($18) - Fermented garlic BBQ, pickled onions, miso aioli, local lettuces
Louisiana shrimp ($18) - Cashew hummus, eggplant, cucumber, socca
Asparagus & beet salad ($18) - Pine nut dukka, labneh, strawberries, lemon-cider vinaigrette
Large plate
Nantucket Bay Sea Scallops ($45) - Sweet potato spaetzle, brie, black truffle, choi, lemon-truffle jus
Dessert
Chocolate miso tart ($15) - Black sesame shortbread, chocolate ganache, red miso caramel, mirin creme fraîche
What I loved ❤️
The smoked chicken lettuce wraps: These lettuce wraps really stole the show. The chicken was tender, smoky and packed with layers of interesting flavors. There were big hits of cumin and some kind of spicy asian sauce like gochujang. I spooned the chicken onto the fresh, crunchy lettuce and drizzled miso over top of it, which came in the most adorable little squeeze bottle. The resulting bite was a masterclass in fusing multicultural flavors. Even the pickled red onion crosses cultural boundaries. Everything in this dish worked together in a beautiful and surprising way.
The asparagus & beet salad: I don’t think I’ve ever truly eaten asparagus before this dish. Technically I eat it all the time but fresh, in-season asparagus is a whole different thing. It was delicate and gave off this umami flavor that literally made me look at my husband and go, “whoa.”
There was a mixture of golden beets and regular purple beets, giving the dish a sweet but mellow, earthy flavor. The macerated strawberries added some vinegar and spice. Everything sat beautifully on top of a layer of labneh, kind of like a creamy greek yogurt cheese. Everything about this salad blew my mind.
The sea scallops: I have a bad habit of always ordering sea scallops when I see them on a menu even though I know they’re probably going to be rubbery and disappointing. Not this time. The scallops at Constance kick other scallops’ asses. They were delicate, buttery and cooked to absolute perfection. They had a lovely sear and weren’t rubbery at all.
The scallops were served on top of sweet potato spaetzle, which brought in a layer of subtle sweetness. The true kicker was the lemon-truffle jus poured around the bottom of the dish. It was like a warm citrusy, savory broth that brightened the whole dish up.
The Louisiana shrimp: This starter dish mixed Mediterranean and deep Southern flavor. The shrimp was blackened in a kind of Creole seasoning and served alongside a smattering of mezze offerings. I chose to pile everything on top of a piece of the socca and I highly recommend doing so. The cashew hummus was smooth and creamy and the shrimp was perfectly plump and not at all overdone. Can have this as a snack every day?
The chocolate miso tart: By the time we reached dessert, I was extremely satisfied but bordering on uncomfortable levels of stuffedness. I’m normally fine to skip dessert all together (yeah, call the police) but I decided that I needed to try the chocolate miso tart. The server offered to send us home with the dessert instead of powering through and I deeply appreciate her for that. We tried it the next day and the only way I can explain it, is that it tasted like an elevated Twix bar and I mean that in the best way possible.
What I didn’t love 💔
No cocktails: This is incredibly nit-picky, and I hate myself for even saying it, but I’m a girlie who loves a cocktail and I did miss the option to start the meal off with one. I know I could have ordered a mocktail but I like alcohol, despite the Surgeon General saying that it’s killing us all. That said, I do recognize that in a city where drinking is seemingly the number one hobby, it’s a big deal to have a restaurant like Constance offering a wide array of non-alcoholic drink options. Maybe next time I’ll grow up and try a mocktail.
Final take: Hag recommended 🔥
As you’ll notice, there’s basically nothing that I didn’t love at Restaurant Constance. It was a fantastic fucking meal from start to finish. Each dish felt like a celebration of the individual ingredients, highlighting them in exciting new ways. Chef Diminich seamlessly blends Southern cuisine with flavors from around the world in a way that doesn’t feel forced.
Chef Diminich also clearly has a deep reverence and respect for the community of farmers he works with. At times, I was mesmerized watching the projection on the wall. There were images of flocks of chickens, lush Carolina fields, and briney coastal wetlands—all places he visits and sources ingredients for his menu. Occasionally there he was, in the frame, talking to a farmer like you would a friend. At one point in the meal, he actually popped out of the kitchen to chat with a few customers. He seemed relaxed and happy, like he was at a family gathering.
Even to call Restaurant Constance a “farm-to-table” restaurant feels cheap. They’re not just slapping up Hearth & Hand decor and pointing out a handful of items on the menu that are “local”. Their whole ethos is about community. It’s about the symbiotic relationship we have with the land, the food we eat, and the people who grow it.
Even my cold, dead heart was warmed by the sense of community and purpose that’s oozing out of Restaurant Constance. The caring almost feels contagious. And when that caring results in a meal that exceptional, it’s hard to be cynical about it. It’s safe to say I’m a huge fan and will definitely be back.
5 things I consumed this week in Charlotte
A wine tasting ($16?) poured by Substrate at Stable Hand. Wine Night at Stable Hand was jam packed despite the rain. The Substrate tasting started with a pour of Miller High Life aka the “Champagne of Beers”. Dying to know what a sommelier would say about this. I respected it.
Bo La Lot and Tartare from Hello Uncle. My new favorite pop-up was at Wine Night, too. The first dish was a beef dish served with rice vermicelli. This time I made a little lettuce wrap and it was bomb. Also, I will never not order the tartare.
Tofu with Mixed Vegetables ($12.75) and a Vegetable Roll ($2.75) from Taipei Express. Sometimes you just want Chinese takeout and Taipei is my current go-to. Hands down better than most of the places in Charlotte. Their Scallion Chicken is also really good.
Chicken Tikka Roll ($11.99) from Botiwalla. Stopped by Optimist for lunch while out running errands this past weekend and I opted for this wrap, which is the best thing on the menu. I douse mine in that yogurt sauce they give you on the side.
Doragon Roll ($14) to-go from Oshen. This was a Lunchdrop option at work this week and I jumped on it because Oshen always sells out first. Their takeout sushi containers are surprisingly sleek and my roll looked and tasted just as good as when I tried it at the restaurant.
Rejuvenated and inspired by the meal at Restaurant Constance, we’ve been carefully tending our backyard garden and can proudly say we’ve eaten about four nights of salads from our lettuce alone. Farmers market season is starting up, too, so you know I’m about to be back on my bullshit.
c u next tuesday,
the hag herself
All of the food and drinks reviewed in QCH are paid for by the author. This newsletter does not feature any ads or sponsored content.
So happy to see you enjoyed RC! They can do no wrong in my book
Moving Constance up on my to try list! Also tofu and veggies is my go to Chinese order so I’ll need to try Taipei Express’. I’ve only had the scallion chicken.