#3: Farewell to Noche Bruta 🫠
The CLT restaurant algorithm + 5 things I consumed last week
Each year Charlotte says goodbye to a slew of restaurants and bars that made the tough decision to close their doors. Local media outlets list them out like an “in memoriam” segment at the Oscars and everyone collectively shrugs and waits to hear about next shiny restaurant opening.
I’ve noticed a disturbing trend on these lists in the past few years. There are genuinely good restaurants on them.
Here are just a few of note, spanning from 2021-2025:
The Stanley
Haymaker
Lincoln’s Haberdashery
Futo Buta
Earl’s Grocery
Fairweather
NC Red
Living Kitchen
Fern, Flavors from the Garden
SARU
VANA
Pepperbox Doughnuts
Leah & Louise
Bardo
Eight + Sand
We’ve also lost some decades-long establishments like Gus’ Sir Beef, Green’s Lunch, Zack’s Hamburgers, Price’s Chicken Coop and Letty’s on Shamrock.
We’re only a few weeks into 2025 and the team at Noche Bruta abruptly announced their departure from Camp North End. Their final weekend of regular service was this past weekend.
So all of that leads me to my main question: What the fuck?
I’m not an idiot. I know there are a myriad of reasons why small businesses don’t end up surviving—could be anything from staffing issues to the climbing cost of retail space. The toll of Covid hit the food and beverage industry particularly hard, too.
But we’re not talking about like…a shitty sports bar that closed because they served soggy wings and acted like dicks to their customers.
I understand that not every business can succeed. But shouldn’t the restaurants and bars who are turning out really amazing food and drinks be the ones that do make it?
My theory is that, much like TikTok and Instagram, Charlotte has a restaurant algorithm. If you cater to the algorithm, you get boosted. If you don’t, you can’t survive (or at least not for long).
Unique concepts, novelty and mass appeal help you win. Consistently making great food? Not as important!
Rooftop bars work great or big murals. Maybe you add some arcade games or giant Jenga. Only serve one kind of food but make it massive, like giant eggrolls. Or serve tons of different kinds of food and don’t specialize in any of them. Add the word “unpretentious” to your tagline. Have cocktails on tap or, better yet, have 60 wines on tap (wink). Only serve brunch food. Make something people like but “do things a little differently”. Have a huge outdoor space for dogs. Have smoke coming out of a cocktail. Have espresso martinis. Remember, it’s not about the food or the drinks, it’s about the experience.
Call me cynical but also, then, tell me why Bargarita is still open. Is it the haunting animal head mural and $6 gummy bear shots? Tell me why Snooze has three locations and a long waitlist every weekend. Their tagline is “Breakfast but different”. Except it’s NOT different in any way. It’s exactly the breakfast food you’d expect!!!
There’s also a whole category of restaurant that seems to stick around that I like to refer to as “AI-generated”. They all look modern but rustic in the same vaguely similar way. Their menus have no point of view, just a jumble of items humans seem to like: shrimp and grits, wings, ravioli, steak, a poke bowl, and either truffle fries or truffle mac ‘n’ cheese. These are spots like STIR, Culinary Dropout, and Trolley Barn.
Noche Bruta didn’t fall into these categories. It wasn’t so much anchored by a concept as it was anchored by the food. It was unpretentious without having to announce itself as unpretentious. They kept their menu relatively small but every dish packed a punch.
The second to last time I ate there, I tried their tostada. It had roasted sweet potatoes, whipped queso fresco, pickled mushrooms, refried beans and some sort of fresh salsa. This simple, small vegetarian dish blew me away. It was truly one of the best things I’ve eaten in a long time. I wish I’d taken a picture of it but I didn’t even think about it because I was enjoying it so much.
Shouldn’t that be the goal? To make food so good it makes us forget to even pull out our phones?
Restaurants that give us food that good should be the ones with long weekend waitlists. If we continue to reward those who put no thought or care into the items they serve, we’ll end up with a food culture in this city that lacks any identity or depth of flavor.
It’s not clear whether or not Noche Bruta is completely done or if they’ll find their own space and reopen eventually. I really hope they do but there seem to be no immediate plans. All I know is that they will be greatly missed by at least one hag.
5 things I consumed in Charlotte last week
“The 54th” sandwich ($12.99) and “Opa’s Matzo Ball Soup” ($11) from Schreiber’s on Rye. I’ve tried a few sandwiches from here but this one is the best because of the texture from the baguette and crispy bacon. The soup is bomb every time.
“Sweater Weather” ($13) from Spindle Bar. While some people get jazzed about pumpkin spice lattes, I get pumped for the seasonal return of this frozen masterpiece. It tastes like mulled cider and I can’t order anything else.
Draft vanilla iced latte ($5) from Stable Hand. This was just a quick stop before running some errands on Sunday morning. I was tempted to grab a breakfast sandwich too but the place was PACKED.
“Jeff Goldblum Drinks for Free” ($14) cocktail from Room Service. A delightful tequila and mezcal concoction with hibiscus, blood orange and lime. I also agree that Jeff Goldblum should always drink for free.
Margherita pizza ($10) from Capishe. This was a Friday night food delivery order. I’d normally go with their rigatoni pasta but I was craving pizza after being sick all last week. Not sure if my taste buds were just fried but I wouldn’t recommend it over other pizza options.
Which restaurants do you miss in Charlotte? Leave me a comment.
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.
We will forever mourn the loss of NC Red.
If I had the money, I would stake Chef Hector to open whatever kind of restaurant he wants.
Charlotte is annoying in that so many people think Mexican food should be $8 enchiladas and $5 margaritas.
Completely agree, I’m always blown away by what makes it and what doesn’t! Also, snooze is a snooze, eight and sand was tasty and always busy, so I was blown away when it closed!