#24: The ethics of eating ⚖️
CLT restaurant controversy, Asheville eats, impressive celery work
After my relatively glowing review of Counter- last week, I heard there was allegedly some hot tea about the chef there. I immediately took to Reddit and Instagram to get to the bottom of it. I didn’t spend my childhood watching “The Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley” for nothing.
I’m not going to get into the details (feel free to stalk yourself though obvi). I’ll only mention that the Counter- drama is surrounding an allegedly stolen menu concept, potential lies around ingredient sourcing, and possibly a generally toxic work environment. Again, this is all social media hearsay at this point, so maybe take it with a grain of salt.
Either way, my internet sleuthing left me with more questions than answers. Is there truth in this? Who do I believe? If it’s true, should I not go back to this restaurant? Should I take down my review? I felt weird about the whole thing.
This is not the first Charlotte chef or restaurant to be embroiled in controversy. Back in 2022, Queen City Nerve published an investigation into claims of a toxic work environment with 5th Street Group restaurants (Church & Union, Sophia’s Lounge, La Belle Helene). Goodyear House was accused of illegally misappropriating tips in 2021. Fahrenheit was under investigation by the City of Charlotte in 2024 for claims of discrimination. Greg and Subrina Collier, two well-known Charlotte restauranteurs, were facing a lawsuit at the beginning of this year. And by now, we’ve probably all heard some shit about Jim Noble, owner of Noble Smoke, Copain, Rooster’s, Bossy Beulah’s, and The Jimmy. His comments and general vibe earned him the award of “Worst Restauranteur” in 2020 by Queen City Nerve.
Of course some of these situations are complicated. We don’t know all the details or what’s true and not true. Some things are very obviously wrong or offensive aka Noble tweeting at BLM protesters to “Get a job” or his very outspoken support of HB2 (gross).
It’s exhausting to be alive in this time for countless reasons, but one of them is knowing all that we know. And when you know something negative or potentially negative about a local business owner’s practices or how they’re treating other people, it feels hard to know what to do with that information.
This all leads me to the current existential question at hand: What exactly is my responsibility as a hag who’s just trying to eat?
In response to Jim Noble, many people have boycotted his restaurants. I’ve generally stayed away from them as well but I’ll admit that I do still go to The Jimmy and I’ve ordered from Noble Smoke at Optimist Hall on occasion out of pure survival because my step kids are picky as hell.
I’ve wondered at times, does that make me a bad person? I can’t claim ignorance on Jim Noble. I know what he’s said and I know it sucks. So does knowing and still dining, somehow make me complicit?
I don’t really know the answer to that question. I’m sure some people may say, “yes, it actually does make you complicit, you dumb bitch.” And maybe that’s fair. At times, I can be a dumb bitch.
I do think there’s at least some nuance here, though. All of these places, even if they are run by questionable owners or chefs, employ entire staffs of people who…probably aren’t shitty. Those people are the ones making the food, managing reservations, cleaning dishes and clearing tables. I think those people still deserve to get paid, personally.
One reason I haven’t been able to cut myself off from The Jimmy is that I love their cocktails. There’s a whole unique person who’s crafting that menu and it’s not Jim Noble. So, why shouldn’t I support them?
Maybe I’m just making selfish excuses because I like their particular negroni (definitely possible!), but I do wonder if there’s a world where we can acknowledge the disappointing or questionable things an owner or chef may do or say and hold them accountable without hurting the people who depend on their paycheck or are simply trying to grow their careers.
On some level, it’s impossible to know what ethical or unethical decisions went into every bite of your meal at a restaurant. Were the farming practices sustainable? Were the animals treated humanely? Were the farm workers paid a fair wage? What about the beverage distributor’s practices? I’m not saying it’s not worth caring about all of the above, but I am saying we very often don’t know.
The reality is that there’s probably some good and some bad in all of it. But should we, the diners, feel the pressure to sift through every moral implication of a meal?
I wish wholeheartedly that restaurant owners and chefs would just simply…stop being problematic! I guess it’s a lot to ask from people who work in an industry known and sometimes glorified for it’s toxic behavior (see: “The Bear”) but a girl can dream. In the meantime, we’re all left to navigate the inevitable controversies and try to figure out our place in (or out) of them.
I don’t know what’s true or untrue about the Counter- situation and I still don’t know what it means for me as a hag trying to eat a meal. All I know is that, alongside everything else going on in the world right now, it feels truly exhausting to have another thing added to my plate.
5 things I consumed last week in AVL + CLT
Fresh eggs from our stay at Firelight at Shope Creek. We’ve stayed at this Asheville Airbnb twice now and it’s magical. There’s a chicken coop and garden, plus all the cabins on the property are stunning. Fresh eggs really hit different.
Chili Chicken ($13.99) and Al Jeera Tequila ($12) at Chai Pani. It’s impossible for me to not be bummed out visiting the new Chai Pani because I miss Buxton Hall so much. This chili chicken was great though, one of the best dishes I’ve tried there. The cocktail sadly wasn’t my fave.
Catfish plate ($26) from Good Hot Fish. Always love GHF when we’re in AVL. The catfish was tasty but I gotta say I like the fish sandwich the best. If you get the plate, go for the cornmeal breading. I think my mistake was I ordering it battered.
Lonchera ($13) w/ Tofu at Little Chango. First time trying this cute little Asheville lunch spot. I ordered a plate with tofu that came with rice and beans, pickled cabbage and onions, and an escabeche salad. Pleasantly surprised.
Celery salad, pasta & martini at Rada. Holding it down as the only Charlotte spot in here this week. Rada is doing some incredible celery work right now. Absolutely loved the celery salad and the braised beef pasta with celery filling. It sounded weird to me but it works, man. Also, sorry I didn’t remember to take a photo of the menu for prices:(
Vacationing in one of the country’s culinary hotspots this week: Pigeon Forge, TN. It’s home to Guy Fieri’s Downtown Flavortown as well as other critically acclaimed restaurants like Margaritaville, Cracker Barrel, and Smoky’s Pancake Cabin. It’s safe to say I’ll have a lot of great travel content for you all next week.
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.