This story first ran in the August 2018 issue of SouthPark Magazine.
Feeling nostalgic for some of your favorite treats from childhood? Thanks to some of the city’s top chefs, bakers and beverage masters, you can eat like a kid without compromising the complex flavors you’ve grown to love. From cupcakes to tater tots to juice boxes, there is no limit to their creative takes on these childhood classics.
The Soccer Mom Special
Anyone who grew up playing team sports knows soccer and Capri Sun juice pouches go hand-in-hand. So when creative beverage director Andrew Izrael was developing drinks for Rosemont Bar’s new menu, he had this compact and portable packaging in mind. “I stumbled upon these pouches online and that’s how the Soccer Mom Special came about,” he says. “I brought back two flavors from your childhood—peach rings and grape juice. The idea is to set the tone for childlike fun…but with alcohol of course.” rosemontbar.com
Campfire Almond S’mores
The next time you have a craving for your favorite campfire treat, look no further than The Cellar at Duckworth’s. The Campfire Almond S’more is chocolatey, velvety, and the culinary equivalent of childhood summers. “For a grown-up twist, we top it with almonds and a caramel glaze,” says executive chef Fred Quinones. “It’s a taste of childhood, but a finer-tuned version of it.” It should come as no surprise that it’s his best-selling dessert. He makes everything in house, from the graham crackers to the marshmallows. Thecellaratduckworths.com
Tennessee Apple Pie Cupcake
Grown-up version of: an applesauce muffin.
FuManChu Cupcakes is the place where alcohol meets baking, and owner Andy Jackson is the man behind these boozy confections. “We came up with the Tennessee Apple Pie Cupcake at the request of American Born Moonshine out of Nashville, Tennessee,” he says. This inventive treat begins with a buttermilk cake baked with fresh apples, and once it’s cooled, Andy pours half a shot of apple pie moonshine into the cake. For some added pizazz, he tops it off with icing made with Superior Saigon Cinnamon. fumanchucc.com
Coffee in a Cone
Kids love chocolate and adults run on coffee, so it was only a matter of time before someone put the two together. Thanks to the Coffee In A Cone, you can sip your cappuccino or espresso out of a chocolate-coated waffle cone..and now you can find these edible cups at various bakeries in and around the Queen City. “Chocolate, coffee, biscotti…the joys of every age come together,” says Gavin Eales, head cone peddler. “Get some chocolate on your nose and lips, and just do it. You deserve a smile sometimes!” coffeeinaconeusa.com
Bacon-wrapped Tater Tots
Chances are you loved these deep-fried potato puffs as a kid, so when they’re wrapped in bacon and put on a skewer, it’s destined to be a hit. “The inspiration was to create something simple and crave-able, and who doesn’t love tots?,” says Fran Scibelli, owner of Fran’s Filling Station and creator of the Bacon-Wrapped Tater Tots. For the grown-up spin, Fran does her tots two different ways: regular tots with rosemary black pepper glaze, or jalapeño bacon-wrapped sweet potato tater tots with Tabasco honey glaze. fransfillingstation.com
Cap’N Crunch Pancakes
Inspired by his son Kash’s favorite breakfast foods, executive chef and director of operations David Feimster combined pancakes and Cap’N Crunch cereal to create the Jumbo Cap’N Crunch Pancakes on Fahrenheit’s Sunday brunch menu. In addition to the colorful cereal topping, this sweet treat comes drizzled in a vanilla milk reduction and finished off with powdered sugar. “It’s fun, family-friendly, and adults and kids love it,” Feimster says. “This dish really brings out the kid in you.” chefroccowhalen.com/fahrenheit-charlotte
VIA Charlotte Five
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