Charlotte Restaurant Week Summer 2012 Kicks Off July 20

It comes around twice a year, when dudes can take their chicks out somewhere nice to dine in Charlotte without feeling like they're encroaching on their Air-Jordan-sneaker or PS3-game money. LOL. That's one way to look at it, but the semi-annual Queen's Feast: Charlotte Restaurant Week returns for its summer 2012 edition Friday, July 20 and runs through Sunday, July 29. Since launching in 2008, each installment of CRW has featured a record-high number of participating restaurants--and it's the same case this time with a record 107 restaurants in seven counties.

I tried Levant Mediterranean Cuisine for the first time recently. It has intriguing decor and great ambiance, and is one of several newcomers to Charlotte Restaurant Week.

There are more than a dozen first-time restaurants participating, several of which have opened within the past year like 5Church, e2 Emeril's Eatery, Levant Mediterranean Cuisine, Bernardin's at Ratcliffe, Delta's, Blackthorne Restaurant & Bar, and more. Charlotte Restaurant Week features the same deal you love: a prix-fixe, three-course dinner for $30 per person (not including tax and tip); and many restaurants will throw in a fourth course and/or glass of wine.

I was invited to a chef's table event last month at Bernardin's, which opened about eight months ago in the historic Ratcliffe building in Uptown. The goat cheese tart was one of several delicious courses we enjoyed. 

According to Hensley Fontana Public Relations & Marketing, which owns and manages the execution of the event, 120,000 dinners were served during Charlotte Restaurant Week's winter edition in January.

Keep in mind that it's best that you make advance reservations at these restaurants during CRW, and the weekend times fill up fastest. For complete details, including the list of participating restaurants and the descriptions of the prix-fixe menu each of them is serving, visit www.charlotterestaurantweek.com.

I dined at Campania Italian Café in Davidson during CRW in January and highly recommend it as an intimate date spot.

All photos above by my camera phone.