More than 100 eateries, including a long list of Lake Norman area favorites, will join the Queen’s Feast: Charlotte Restaurant Week beginning next Friday, Jan. 20. Alton’s Kitchen in Cornelius is getting a jump on the festivities, offering its special menu in a “preview” a week ahead of the festival. Also, the Davidson Housing Coalition has announced the lineup of restaurants that will vie for the best local soups in its 2012 Souper Bowl fundraiser Feb. 4. Read the full story

Thomas Marlow at Flatiron Kitchen (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

Thomas Marlow has cooked at big restaurants, worked as a personal chef, and studied cooking in Asia. Now, at 25, the Johnson & Wales trained chef is taking over the kitchen at Flatiron Kitchen + Taphouse in Davidson.

He’s making his debut just as Flatiron gets ready for the Queen’s Feast, working on new lunch and dinner menus and cooking up new ways to reach diners in north Mecklenburg and south Iredell. He comes to Flatiron from Mimosa Grill in Charlotte, where he worked as sous chef under Jon Fortes. Read the full story

Summit's team includes senior barista and director of coffee David Beam, owner Tim Helfrich, and marketing and branding director Brian Helfrich. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

Summit's new logo

Summit Coffee Co. is in its 14th year supplying coffee and more on Main Street in downtown Davidson. All is well at the popular community gathering place, but owner Tim Helfrich and marketing manager Brian Helfrich recently decided it was time for a little sprucing up. So over the New Year’s weekend, they and their coworkers slapped on some fresh paint and rearranged the furniture. And that’s not all.

The shop has a new logo and website, new beer and wine selections, and this week will introduce a new feature: a Friday night “pub” in the rearranged upstairs. Tim’s calling it the Freckled Dog Pub, in honor of his family’s 6-year-old Australian Shepherd/Lab mix Otis, and in homage to the pubs of England he has visited often in recent years. Read the full story

The Winter 2012 edition of the semiannual Queen’s Feast: Charlotte Restaurant Week will run Friday, Jan. 20, through Sunday, Jan. 29, with a record 101 participating restaurants, including many favorites in north Mecklenburg and south Iredell. (List below)

Charlotte Restaurant Week is a regional event, where numerous upscale restaurants offer a prix fixe, three-course (or more) dinner for $30 per person (not including tax and gratuity). Restaurants stretch across many neighborhoods of Charlotte and the region, from Matthews to the Lake Norman area and Concord to Gastonia. Read the full story

Bonsai Grill on Depot Street in Davidson will close by the end of January as Davidson College prepares to renovate the building for its student book store. Meanwhile, we have news of menu changes at Kabuto Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar in Huntersville and at The Capital Grille in downtown Charlotte. Read the full story

Plus, New Year’s food and drink events at area eateries

Flatiron Kitchen + Taphouse in Davidson is changing chefs with the new year. Also, area restaurants are planning events for New Year’s Eve, ranging from an “all you can drink” night at Galway Hooker Irish Pub to Jeffrey’s Restaurant’s annual New Year’s party with drinks and dancing. We have some ideas as you plan the big night. Read the full story