Charcuterie and cheese boards are fancy dinner staples. Here are 15 must-try options ranging from $6 to $25+.
The Agenda’s Charlotte charcuterie and cheese board superlatives:
Best charcuterie with wine goes to… MERE’S
This European-inspired cheese and wine shop recently opened in Dilworth. MERE’s offers a large variety of cheeses and charcuterie, specialty boards and featured sandwiches along with wine and craft beer.
The best budget-friendly board goes to… Craft Tasting Room and Growler Shop
The charcuterie includes olives and prosciutto while the cheese board has two local cheeses with fruit. Both come with locally baked bread, and both are only $6 on Wednesdays.
Best tableside service goes to… Kindred
Yes, they bring the cheeses out to your table. Get the crispy oysters afterwards (so good).
Best brewery charcuterie goes to… Suffolk Punch
Come for the A Patchwork Orange 5.7% IPA (best-seller) and stay for the cheese.
Best bang for your buck goes to… The Broken Spoke
The distillery’s food menu doesn’t disappoint and offers multiple boards, including the Spoke Board (pickles, preserves, $11) and a ham and cheese board (pictured). It comes with multiple cheeses, hams, preserves like apple butter and toast for $24.
Best casual date night charcuterie and cheese goes to… The Loyalist Market
This Mathews market and cheese shop is home to 40 artisan cheeses, 15 – 20 charcuterie, 25 beers, 9 wines by the glass, and 13 wines by the bottle. Over the last eight years, owner Chris Sottile taught himself to make charcuterie and has become passionate about the art. He’s now looking to “blow people’s minds with pairings.”
Best mix-and-match option goes to… The Cellar at Duckworth’s
The mix-and-match, create-your-own boards include both artisanal cheese and meat. Choose anywhere from 3 to 5 items including Challerhocker, Chocolate Lab and 26-month old gouda cheeses and serrano ham, wild boar and smoked prosciutto. $15-$22
The best board to eat outside goes to… Dilworth Tasting Room
The charcuterie board is exactly what you’d expect with the usual meats and cheeses, but go on a cool night for the patio.
Best cheese and charcuterie boards accompanied by tinned seafood goes to… Orrman’s Cheese Shop
Don’t forget about the Raclette night events at this 7th Street Public Market favorite.
Best board special goes to… 8.2.0
This popular Music Factory bar often does a Wednesday night $15 charcuterie board that includes 2 glasses of craft sangria or wine. Be prepared to sing karaoke afterwards.
Most likely to make you do a double-take goes to… The Improper Pig
The Improper Charcuterie comes piled high with pulled pork, brisket, ribs, andouille, pimento cheese, coleslaw, house chips and pickled onions. Holy meat sweats. $18
Best French cheese board goes to… La Belle Helene
This beautiful, new French restaurant in Uptown offers a charcuterie board with grain mustard for $16 and fromages board for $15 (assortment of french cheeses).
Best Spanish board goes to… Bulla Gastrobar
Bulla offers 6 different types of cured meats and 6 different types of queso.
Best board to eat on a rocking chair and watch life go by goes to… The Summit Room
The build-your-own board starts from the ground up with a selection of cheeses ($6 each) and meat additions ($5-$6 per).
Best speakeasy board goes to… Dot Dot Dot
Their $26 house charcuterie board includes an assortment of Chef David’s house-cured charcuterie, aged a minimum of three months in their own temperature and humidity controlled cooler.
VIA CHARLOTTE AGENDA
