The Charlotte area’s lineup of new culinary offerings is heating up as summer quickly approaches.

Among Charlotte’s new restaurants is Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley, which debuted over the weekend at the Queen City Quarter complex in uptown. It dishes up elevated comfort food and craft cocktails.

There’s also Calle Sol Latin Café & Cevicheria’s new SouthPark location and Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks, which recently opened its first location outside of Atlanta in University City.

And set to open in the coming weeks are healthy-food concept Toastique in South End, Bobby’s Burgers by Bobby Flay in SouthPark and Tikka Shack Indian Grub in Rock Hill.

That’s, of course, in addition to the first restaurants to make their debut at the much-anticipated Bowl at Ballantyne development. Fast-casual restaurants Flower Child and North Italia opened there at the end of May. Both are by Fox Restaurant Concepts. The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery also opened its 14,000-square-foot location at The Bowl, and an all-day neighborhood restaurant and wine café is eyeing its entrance there late this summer.

Despite the new additions, a few spots have recently exited Charlotte’s food scene. The Pizza Peel & Tap Room in Plaza Midwood shuttered in May after a decade in business on Central Avenue, though a replacement has already been lined up. Local barbecue joint The Improper Pig is taking over the space and expects to open there in the first quarter of 2025. Stomp, Chomp & Roll is behind both concepts.

Pepperbox Doughnuts closed in NoDa at the end of last month. Hubee D’s shuttered in Eastover and will be replaced by Salted Melon Market & Eatery. And in South End, nightlife complex RSVP has shifted from a public venue to private events.

For a closer look at this month’s installment of Restaurant Bites, check out the accompanying slideshow. It’s compiled from CBJ staff reports in May…

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