By BEN BRADFORD
WFAE-FM

For the past five decades, Harris Teeter has been a locally-based company with a relatively small chain of regional supermarkets. Not anymore. The company announced Tuesday it’s being acquired by Kroger, the nation’s largest supermarket. What could the transformation from regional chain to national subsidiary could mean for you at checkout? Read the full story

Summer treat?

When temperature rises, I adore a slice of chilled watermelon sprinkled with a bit of sea salt.  I think of it as nature’s Gatorade.  It’s the perfect combination of sweet and salty that after a long run or a hard day in the yard quenches your thirst while also cooling you down.  So I have to admit that I was a bit surprised that I didn’t think about using watermelon in a margarita sooner.  After all, margaritas, with that crunchy line of salt around the rim of the glass and the classic balance of sweet and sour may be the most refreshing cocktail.

I took inspiration from Frank Stitt for this recipe.  One of our dear friends who lives in Birmingham sent us Stitt’s cookbook, Frank Stitt’s Southern Table, years ago.  Since then it’s been one of my favorites. Read the full story

From covered dish dinners to Charlotte’s iconic Greek Festival, food brings people together. WFAE’s Public Conversations Series explores food’s role in creating cultural identities and facilitating conversation. “The Gathering Power of Food” is Thurs., July 11, 7-8:30 p.m., at Levine Museum of the New South, in Charlotte. Read the full story

Twice a year restaurants across the region throw a tasting party, called Queen’s Feast: Charlotte Restaurant Week. It’s a chance to try out three-course dinners at dozens of eateries for a fixed $30 price. The Summer 2013 edition runs Friday, July 19, through Sunday, July 28, and features 109 restaurants, including many Lake Norman area favorites as well as restaurants in Statesville, Charlotte, Concord, Matthews, Belmont, Gastonia, Waxhaw and Fort Mill, SC.

Details and reservation information are at www.CharlotteRestaurantWeek.com. Read the full story

Gazapacho – recipe below. (Nikki Sawyer Moore photo)

After two weeks of moving, it felt good to get back to my routine yesterday.  I responded to emails, returned phone calls, and went to the grocery store.  The refrigerator, which upon first arrival, seemed so much bigger and spacious than my previous one is filled to the brim with food.  Despite the precariously stacked dishes, it feels right.

I’m still learning how to work in my new space.   My new kitchen is smaller than my previous one.  This was a selling point.  I went from small to big before going small again and I have to admit, I like smaller better.  It forces you to work smarter and more efficiently.  Mise en place, the chef’s term meaning everything in its place, is the mantra for a small kitchen. Read the full story

Nick Lyssikatos outside the waterfront restaurant in Cornelius that he will turn into Port City Club this summer. (David Boraks photo)

By DAVID BORAKS

Port City Club. That’s the name of the new waterfront restaurant that Lake Norman restaurateur Nick Lyssikatos is planning in Cornelius, in a building that once housed Midtown Sundries. Lyssikatos, who also owns the Brickhouse Tavern in Davidson and Miciah’s Speakeasy in Mooresville, said at a press conference Monday afternoon he hopes the nearly 500-seat restaurant can open as soon as August, after renovations. Read the full story