#6: [REVIEW] Albertine🍴
A $25 martini, shockingly good dates, and a steak and frites scandal
For the roughly 25 people who have been reading this from the beginning (🙏), you know that I’m on shaky ground with the establishments owned by Katy & Joe Kindred. While they’re well-known as Charlotte’s restauranteur darlings, I’ve not been blown away by my experiences at milkbread or Kindred.
One exception in the Kindred Universe™ is Hello, Sailor. It’s gone a bit downhill in the past few years, I assume because the Kindreds have been busy with their other concepts, but I still think it reigns supreme.
Their latest endeavor, Albertine, opened three months ago in Uptown. It’s by far the biggest swing they’ve taken, with a focus on Mediterranean food with “Southern flair” (I hate when restaurants are described this way) in a much more upscale setting. It takes a lot to get me to Uptown these days, but I knew I had to try it to see if it would tip the scales.
First impressions
The outside of Albertine is exactly what you’d expect for Uptown. It’s in the bottom of some nondescript financial building that, by day, is probably filled to the brim with dudes who LOVE Excel spreadsheets, the gym, and IPAs. I didn’t look it up but I feel pretty confident. Point being, the outside is not much to look at. It’s cold and shiny and corporate-y. It looks like the building your outtie walks into before they head to the severed floor.
Inside is a different story. The space is STUN-NING. The bar & lounge area has sky-high ceilings with beautiful herringbone wood flooring. I wish I had a chisel to take some of that marble (or whatever it was) home to put in my kitchen.
We sat in the dining room at one of the booth tables, which was absolutely the move. The lounge is a great option if you’re popping in for a drink and a snack but I don’t recommend doing a full dinner in there. It’s beautiful, sure, but it feels very much like a nice lobby.
Everything we ordered
Cocktails
Cam’s martini ($25) - monkey 47, cocchi americano, genepy, orange twist
Small plates
Tuna crudo ($25) - puffed freekah, agrumato, urfa pepper, green coriander
Whipped feta ($7) - marjoram, oil, sumac
Stuffed dates ($11) - chorizo, peanut muhammara, country ham
Large plates
Crispy pickled-brined SC hot quail ($26) - aleppo pepper, hot honey, cucumber labneh
Hanger steak frites ($46) - bone marrow bordelaise, seeded chermoula
What I loved ❤️
The small plates: First, let’s talk about the whipped feta and the stuffed dates. These were the smallest dishes of the entire night and I was absolutely FLOORED. The whipped feta was creamy and packed with flavor and the pita it came with was no afterthought. It was coated with seeds and Mediterranean seasoning that took things to another level. I will never not order whipped feta on a menu but this was by far one of the best versions I’ve ever had. I just wish there was more of it.
Now, onto the dates. These little guys were the sleeper hit. You may have had like…bacon wrapped dates before at a holiday party and thought “huh these are pretty good!” These dates would make those taste like trash. They were stuffed with not only chorizo but country ham and bathed in a sweet and savory sauce (think elevated BBQ sauce). I think I audibly gasped. The saltiness and savoriness of the meat mixed with the sweetness of the dates was the perfect balance. I recommend cutting them in half and dipping each bite in the sauce.
The tuna crudo was a polarizing item at our table. I really enjoyed it but my husband did not love the freekah. He said there was “too much.” Maybe I’m just a freak-ah but I didn’t have any notes. I enjoyed the crunch level, the tuna was seasoned to perfection, and the baby oranges and microgreens were lovely additions.
The martini: I thought the $19 Rada martini was pricey but I was humbled when I saw the $25 martini on Albertine’s menu. Unlike Rada’s, it’s not a akin to a dirty martini. Albertine’s is closer to what I imagine James Bond would drink. It’s a stiff drink but it’s also bright and refreshing.
I liked the orange twist in place of the typical lemon twist. The addition of cocchi americano was interesting, too. I do think it’s slightly overpriced but it’s an extremely good cocktail that I would order again.
What I didn’t love 💔
The quail: This was recommended by our server as a Chef’s favorite. She described it as a take on Nashville hot chicken but a little milder. I would describe it as a mountain of breading with the essence of a quail entombed inside and served with buffalo sauce.
If you’re going to go that hard with the breading, you need a more substantial type of meat. I know quail is an *elevated* choice for this dish but it is too dainty. In my first three bites of this dish I never got any quail, which is a problem when the the main part of it is supposed to be quail. When I did *finally* get some quail it was a mere whisper.
My other issue is that the cucumber labneh was really good and it was hiding on the bottom. Drizzle that shit on top. Great concept in theory but pretty meh IRL.
The steak “frites”: For those of you who aren’t French speakers or avid Duolingo users, let me give you some quick context for my angst here. “Frites” is the french word for “fries”, short for “pommes frites” or “french fries”. If you’ll just take a quick glance at the photo below, you’ll notice that there were no “frites” to be found. This steak was served with overcooked smashed potatoes.
Smashed potatoes and frites are not a 1:1 trade. Yes, they’re both potatoes but they do not perform the same way in a dish like this. Frites soak up the sauce and meld together with the steak. These potatoes couldn’t soak up anything to save their potato lives.
Once we got over the shock and trauma of ordering steak frites without the frites, we were able to somewhat enjoy the steak. It was cooked and seasoned well and the sauce served alongside it was really tasty. For $46, it’s not worth it unless you’re some kind of lunatic who loves smashed potatoes more than fries. At the very least, just rename it on the menu.
Final take: Hag recommended 🔥
Despite the somewhat disappointing entrees, I still somehow walked away feeling impressed, which was confusing. But here’s why I think it’s worth the trip.
The meze dishes were incredible. Those stuffed dates had me believing in the magic of the Kindreds. The whipped feta, the pita bread…god. My only regret was not ordering even more off that section of the menu.
The service was also on point the entire night. Our server was super knowledgeable and gave me a whole rundown of the menu, which is a little overwhelming. There was always someone to refill waters or check if we needed something. They got us fresh plates and silverware between courses. That’s quality, baby!
And the last thing I’ll point to is the space. There are not many restaurants in Charlotte that have that kind of refined, upscale aesthetic with such a strong attention to detail. Even the bathrooms were gorgeous. I completely forgot I was in the bottom of a soulless corporate building for the entirety of the meal.
Overall, the vibes were pretty immaculate.
5 things I consumed last week in Charlotte
“Dibs on Bunk 10” cocktail ($10) at Fin & Fino. Right before heading to Albertine, we stopped for a cocktail nearby. This one was reminiscent of a negroni but with a little less bite. Really good.
The “Salsiccia” pizza ($23) at The Jimmy. Went on a Tuesday night walk with two friends and grabbed some 1/2 price glasses of wine, pizza, and a few appetizers. The pizza had house-made fennel sausage, ricotta, red onions and arugula. Really tasty but a little too floppy for me.
A 6” “Chocolate Diplomat” Cake ($50) from Suárez Bakery. My husband’s birthday is tomorrow so we celebrated with family last weekend and I was in charge of the cake. I don’t trust my baking skills, so I’m willing to shell out some cash for the sake of quality and convenience. I’m personally a bigger fan of their giant donut cakes but everyone seemed to love this one.
This beautiful tofu bowl ($13.25) from Flower Child. The stars of this lunch were the yuzu brussel sprouts, the red chile glazed sweet potatoes, and the black truffle hot sauce I added on top.
Truffle fries ($7) and a glass of wine ($12) at Reid’s Fine Foods. I’m not being dramatic when I say these were the absolute WORST truffle fries I’ve ever had. They were so undercooked and soggy. It also looked like they dropped a spoonful of jarred garlic from the grocery store on top, which was allegedly parmesan. Like pizza, normally even bad fries are relatively good but not these. A rough week for frites.
We’re heading to Asheville and Louisville next week, so buckle up for some QCH travel content. 🤙
c u next tuesday,
the hag herself
p.s. I caved and spun up an Instagram for Queen City Hag, not necessarily as a place to post about food but to share newsletter previews and grow my subscribers. Feel free to follow or just keep following me here (where the good stuff is).
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.
Thank you for the review! We're going to Albertine in March to finally try it. It's interesting - we generally find smaller plates and appetizers way more creative than entrées.
Also, obviously many people disagree with me, but there is nothing 'fine' about Reid's. It's like they've convinced everyone through branding and price that they're a high end market and restaurant, but that's not the case. Same for Salted Melon.
Why must everything in the area have a “southern twist”?!?! It would be much more refreshing and unique if it didn’t. But excited to try the small plates!!