September 2026

20 CHARLOTTE ON A PLATE: WHY THE CITY’S FOOD IDENTITY KEEPS GETTING BETTER Charlotte has never been a city easily defined by one signature dish. That may actually be one of its greatest culinary strengths. Instead of building its reputation around a single food, the Queen City is developing a dining culture influ - enced by the many people who call the region home. Southern traditions remain important, but today they share the table with Vietnamese, Latin American, African, Mediterra- nean, Indian, Nepali and other inter- national flavors. That variety is becoming increas- ingly visible. In east Charlotte, longtime restau- rateur Mukesh Ghimire recently opened 12 Masala, a restaurant fo - cused on traditional Nepali dishes including momos, chow mein and thukpa. It is another example of in- ternational food becoming an im- portant part of Charlotte’s dining landscape. The city’s chefs are attracting at- tention too. When the judges from Top Chef spent time in Charlotte, their restaurant choices ranged from Vietnamese food and Yemeni cof- fee to modern Southern cooking and upscale dining. The variety dem- onstrated how difficult Charlotte’s food scene has become to place in- side a single category. Food halls have helped make ex- ploration easier. Instead of commit- ting to one cuisine, diners can walk through a shared space and choose from several independent con- cepts. That format also creates op- portunities for smaller food busi- nesses to reach customers without immediately opening a traditional restaurant. Food trucks offer another path. Charlotte Douglas Internation- al Airport even operates a Food Truck Program at its Airport Over- look, connecting local mobile food businesses with residents and visitors. Its current season runs through September. Festivals are bringing those fla - vors together on a larger scale. September’s FoodieLand festival Do you have a favorite place to eat in the QC? Photo by | cottonbro studio