By CAMILA DOMONOSKE
DavidsonNews.net

GO WILDCATS! After that dramatic game Monday night, I think all Davidson fans deserve a little celebration. How about splurging on Flatiron Kitchen + Taphouse‘s four-course Argyle Winery dinner? If you happen to be a Western Carolina fan, you might prefer to console yourself with some ice cream… fortunately, Ben and Jerry‘s has some new Greek Yogurt flavors that can comfort your soul without adding to your waistline. Details about all that below, plus a “beer bracket,“ Guinness brewer, an update on cooking classes, and the local music lineup. Read the full story

By KATIE LOVETT
DavidsonNews.net

Davidson College’s Vail Commons on Wednesday transformed from a college dining hall into a gourmet restaurant as part of a visit from chef and television personality Joanne Weir. Students filled their trays with pork loin topped with onion, orange, and raisin marmalade; fire roasted potatoes, vegetable gratin; zucchini fritters; mushroom crostini; and oven-roasted beet soup with a dollop of crème fraiche.

Ms. Weir was the first in what Davidson Dining Services director Dee Phillips hopes will become an annual series of celebrity chef visit to Davidson College. Read the full story

Wine and cupcakes, together? That was the menu Wednesday afternoon at a tasting at Just Baked Cupcakes, a three-month-old bakery and coffee shop at the Oak Street Mill in Cornelius.

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Il Bosco Ristorante & Bar opened its doors this week in downtown Davidson. Longtime Charlotte restaurateur Jimmy Hermann is hoping to lure diners from around the region with a menu of Italian regional fare, Italian wines and a casual atmosphere.

Mr. Hermann describes Il Bosco (which means “the woods” in Italian) as “a destination restaurant, providing a moderately-priced fine-dining experience to the Davidson community and surrounding areas.” Read the full story

Davidson Farmer’s Market has added fish from the Carolinas’ coast to its weekly menu of local meat and produce.

Also in this column, a last-minute reminder about this weekend’s Know Your Farms tour of area farms (including an ostrich-ranch sleepout opportunity), a new menu offering at Tenders Fresh Food, and a new food twist to the Davidson Housing Coalition’s fall fund-raising ride – a “Taste of Home” food area featuring local shops and restaurants.

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Updated Thursday, Sept. 2, 9:45 a.m.
Char Grill, a late-night fast-food chain that operates in the Triangle, plans to make Davidson Commons shopping center off I-77 Exit 30 the site of its first Charlotte-area restaurant early next year. Also below, news about a sign design workshop for Rushco Market, at Exit 30.
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Chef Charles Grill 2 Go on Davidson’s West Side will shut its doors at the end of the day Friday, after about four months in business. Also this week: News about a new Friday evening farmer’s market in Cornelius, and political gathering coming up Thursday at Creole House.

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Flatiron Kitchen + Taphouse, the new restaurant under construction in the Stowe’s Corner building in downtown, has begun hiring a 50-person staff and is eyeing a late July opening. Also in this week’s column: upcoming food events and a link to a recent report about Toast Cafe‘s dispute with its former landlord in Huntersville.

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Construction has begun on the planned Rusher Market gas station and convenience store at the Davidson Gateway roundabout, off Exit 30, and its owners are promising tasty fare not usually found in a shop of this kind. Meanwhile, we also have news about Creole House on Main, and a couple of new businesses in Cornelius, and word of an autism fund-raiser at Healthy Home Markets in Davidson and Charlotte.
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Davidson Farmers Market is back to its weekly regular season markets, and it’s looking for volunteers. Meanwhile, Restaurant X in South Main Square will be open for Davidson Graduation Day brunch this Sunday, May 16. Creole House in Cornelius has live blues and a new oyster bar this weekend. And Sabi Asian Bistro is offering a Saturday lunch special for folks who shop in Davidson. Details about those and other local food news below.
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Charles Semail, the Davidson Farmers Market personality who goes by Chef Charles, opened his gourmet takeout and catering shop at midday Wednesday, April 14. Called Chef Charles Grill2Go, the shop is in the former Raeford’s Grill, at 300 Mock Road near the Ada Jenkins Center on Davidson’s West Side.

Chef Charles Grill2Go offers takeout meals and prepared dinners cooked in Chef Charles’ Charlotte catering kitchen, with some “finishing” done on-site in Davidson. The shop will be open weekdays, 11 a.m to 7 p.m., at least for now, as Mr. Semail gauges traffic.

The shop also will give Chef Charles’ business a Davidson location for catering orders and pickup.

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Joel’s founder opens a second restaurant in Mooresville: JJ Wasabi’s

South Main Square restaurants Campania Cafe & Trattoria and Restaurant X are helping to take the at-home kitchen labor out of Easter brunch by offering special menus on Sunday.  Also, beers from Catawba Valley Brewery in Morganton have found their way into the taps at Davidson’s Summit Coffee, and the brewery  reportedly is looking for a location in the area for a tap room.

Meanwhile, restaurateur Joel Jose – of Joel’s Grill & Sushi fame – this week opened a new eatery in downtown Mooresville, called JJ Wasabi’s Grill & Bar. Details on those and other items below. Read the full story