Local Resources
Best After Hours Place
Skyland Family Restaurant
4544 South Blvd., Charlotte
(704) 522-6522
Greek-owned with lots of pictures of Greek gods and Olympians. Its inexpensive, but with good Greek desserts and huge portions. Open 24 hours.
Best Cheap Date
The Penguin 1921 Commonwealth Ave., Charlotte
(704) 375-6959
Ice cream parlor turned cafe and bar. A 50s soda shop serving beer and liquor. White-collar to body-art-painted diners come here. Try the fried pickles or banana pudding!
Best Club
Breakfast ClubThe Breakfast Club Experience...dance to the best mix of 80s music with DJs Jody and Spider at Uptown's only three level nightclub with outside patio and Tiki bar. Watch videos from the early days of MTV and clips from your favorite "Brat Pack" movies. Remember to pick up your Eighties Memorabilia from Tee Shirts and Jelly Bracelets to Pop Rocks and Rubick's Cube keychains.
Best Place for a Laugh
The Comedy Zone
(704) 348-HAHA
A favorite stop for national comedians on tour, this venue also serves fantastic food and drinks.
Best Place for Coffee and Dessert
Dean & Deluca Marketplace Caf
Stonecrest Shopping Ctr., 201 S. Tryon, Charlotte
(704) 377-0037
The latest by Dean & Deluca offers a terrific house-roast coffee and scrumptious desserts. Try the white chocolate quiche with a cup of java. Open till 10:00 p.m. on weekends.
Best Place To Buy a Gift
Cottage Chic
1232 East Blvd., Charlotte
(704) 374-1888
You can find everything from Kate Spade bags and lotions to Oprahs favorite pajamas in this house off of East Boulevard.
Best Restaurant for a Second Dinner Date
Sol
1608 East Blvd., Charlotte
(704) 343-9890
A selection of traditional Spanish, Latin and Mediterranean dishes in a cozy, intimate atmosphere, with live Spanish guitar music on Wednesday nights.
Best Restaurant for First Dinner Date
Ratcliffe on the Green
Ratcliffe on the Green proudly seek out and support the use of local ingredients from sustainable resources such as Grateful Growers, Underwood Family Farm, Ashley Farms, New Beginnings Farm, Laughing Owl Farm and Apple Orchard Farm.
We are a true “Farm to Fork” Restaurant so the menu will change often. We work very close with our farming partners to offer you the freshest ingredients at their seasonal peak of flavor.
At Ratcliffe on the Green, the dedicated culinary staff uses resources from around the world to bring you the freshest and highest quality ingredients possible to insure you one of Charlotte’s best dining experiences. The professional and mature service staff is well trained and ready to assist you with selecting from 100 Wines by the Glass or 200 Wines from the Wine Cellar. Located in the beautifully renovated Ratcliffe Flowers Shop (circa 1920’s).
Best Restaurant for Lunch or Brunch First Date
Upstream
6902 Phillips Place Court, Charlotte
(704) 556-7730
Named by Esquire magazine as Best New Rest of 2001. Offering Pan-Asian seafood cuisine in a beautiful atmosphere by the water. Also awarded Charlotte Magazines Best Seafood.
Best Special Occasion Restaurant
Latorre's
118 W. Fifth St., Charlotte
(704) 377-1312
For a mid-week celebration, try the Tuesday night four-course wine dinner, where Spanish wines, pan-seared duck breast and Catalonian chocolate custard are on the menu.
TOP FIVE DATES
"A bottle of wine and thou..."
Dean & Deluca Marketplace Caf
Stonecrest Shopping Ctr., 201 S. Tryon, Charlotte
(704) 377-0037
Stop by this New York style deli/caf and pick up a selection of fabulous foods to take to your favorite outdoor location. A bottle of wine and a blanket will turn this picnic into a lovely, romantic interlude.
Fondue for two
901 S Kings Dr., Charlotte
(704) 334-4400
Other location: 230 E WT Harris Blvd., Ste. C-1, Charlotte
What could be more romantic than fondue for two? With three-course pre-selected specialty dinners, you can focus on each other rather than the menu.
McGill Rose Garden
940 N. Davidson St., Charlotte
(704) 333-6497
Romance is in bloom at this seasonal garden retreat. Stroll the grounds hand-in-hand and luxuriate in the beautiful sights and scents of roses, roses, roses! Take a camera to capture the beauty of these beautiful flowers for your scrapbook--maybe even have a joint photo taken while you pose amidst the spectacular floral displays.
Take a trip for two to the Voci Spa
Stonecrest/ South Charlotte, Rea Rd. @ I-485, Charlotte
(704) 752-8030
2620 E. 7th St., Charlotte
Spend the afternoon in this "total body renewal center" then try a wine flight at one of Charlotte's local night spots. You'll be more relaxed than you ever imagined--and it's the perfect way to release your inhibitions so your hot date will be even hotter.
Take a trip to Paradise
Paradise Island Divers
2317 South Blvd., Charlotte
(704) 525-9234
Before you take your first vacation together, why not take scuba diving lessons at Paradise Island's on-site indoor pool? This 'buddy sport' is perfect for a date--and once you get certified--you can take the trip to Hawaii you've been dreaming about.
