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Hi Reader, and happy Friday!

Off the Eaten Path started with a pretty simple mission: eat my way through Charlotte.

But the truth is, when I moved here thirteen years ago, it wasn’t just about food.
I was 25, fresh out of a relationship, in my very first adult job, and suddenly living in a city where I didn’t know many people. Everything felt new and unfamiliar, and if I’m honest, I was lonely and trying to figure out where I fit as a newly minted adult.

So I started exploring.

At first it was small things — grabbing tacos on a Tuesday, trying a new brunch spot with some colleagues (now turned some of my best friends) on the weekend, saying yes to restaurants just so I’d have somewhere to go and something to do. But somewhere between those meals and the “let’s try this place just because” outings, Charlotte stopped feeling temporary and started feeling like mine.

And this little blog, which began as a way to document those experiences, became a way to connect — to the city, to its people, and eventually to all of you.

Almost thirteen years later, life looks different than it did, in a city that looks different than it did when I first moved here after graduating law school in 2012.
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I’m 39.

AJ and I are about to celebrate 10 years of marriage (we got married in Charlotte in 2016)

Both of our kids were born at Presby, with a view of the ever-expanding Uptown skyline out the window.

And now we’re raising the next generation of Charlotteans in the same city where I once wandered around trying to figure out who I was.

What started as a way to fill quiet evenings turned into a life rooted here; friendships, family traditions, favorite tables, and a deep love for this city’s ever-growing food scene.

Over the years, one question has landed in my inbox, texts, DMs, and sideline conversations more than any other:

“Where should we eat in Charlotte?”

I’ve always loved sending friends and readers custom lists, but I have been meaning to create something more permanent for years. And while I won’t stop making word-of-mouth recommendations or replying to DMs, I love that I’ve created a running guide I can point people to again and again.

Here’s a little preview of what’s inside:

• A cozy neighborhood tavern where we love to go for date night or laugh over beers with friends.
• The place we go when we want a meal that feels like an occasion (without actually having an occasion).
• A longtime favorite where I used to camp out with my laptop and write, fueled by what I still believe is the best coffee and chai in town.
• Go-to date night destinations and the ones that work when we show up with kids in tow.
• The restaurant and cocktail bar I take all of our out-of-town guests to show our city and its food off.
• A mix of longtime institutions and newer additions that reflect how much Charlotte continues to grow.

There are 30 restaurants on the list that we return to often and recommend constantly. It felt like the right snapshot of where Charlotte’s dining scene is right now: vibrant, welcoming, and always evolving.

This list is not a ranking. Charlotte’s food scene is too good — and too personal — for that. Think of it instead as a starting point. An invitation to explore Charlotte the same way I did: one meal at a time.

​Read the full guide here and start planning your next meal.
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​If you’ve been following along since those early days, thank you for being part of this journey from “new girl in town” to someone lucky enough to call Charlotte home.

Hit reply and tell me where you think I should eat next — I’m always adding to the list!

Chrissie