Brittney Cason After Dark

Sushi, sake bombs, and a taste of the Big Apple
By Megan White

With the opening of more than three new sushi bars in the Uptown area — Fiji, Room 112, and Enso — in the past few months, one can safely assume that sushi rolls whose names no one can pronounce and sake bombs are the new trend. According to Cy, one of the owner’s and executive chefs of Cyros Sushi Bar, the new sushi spot opening in the SouthPark area, his place is bringing a new flavor and different flair to the menu of Charlotte’s sushi spots.

Unlike Enso and Fiji, Cyros won’t be concentrating on the nightlife and entertainment aspect of promoting their sushi. Sorry guys: No half-naked girls lying in front of you covered in barely there leaf loin cloths with strategically placed raw fish on them. It’s all about the rolls, rice … and sake at Cyros.
(more…)

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Apparently, someone took a can opener to Cans and its Canteen because the lid has reopened, according to owner/operator Jay Runnfeldt … for now.

Cans closed quietly, right before last weekend’s Panthers home game nonetheless — which seemed suspect to me as that didn’t really sound like standard procedure for Cans … especially the quiet part.

So, they’re re-opening tonight for the Panthers game … and so they can go out with a bang. The lid will remain open until the Panthers’ final game on Jan. 3 (because obviously our cats aren’t making the playoffs).

Cans will only be open Thursday, Friday, Saturday (nights) and Sundays when the Panthers play. And their big finale will be their New Year’s Eve party and the Panthers’ last home game.

Come say farewell and drink a can for Cans!

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I would like to take the liberty of saying that I am happy that The Liberty Gastropub has replaced McIntosh’s on South Boulvard.

I went for lunch this week and upon approaching the table the waiter greeted us and offered us a beer … at 12:30 in the afternoon? I like this place already.

Makes sense because said place not only has a beer monopolized menu, but it’s even decorated with beer. Literally. Even in the dining room there’s a beer mural that kinda–sorta looks like a fish tank, which inspired me to come up with the genius idea of having an actual beer filled aquarium (which I accidently turned into an outside thought).

My friend’s response: “Right Britt, then we’ll also have beer coming out of the sink, too. This is a restaurant, not Willy Wonka’s Beer Factory.” Oh, but I beg to differ. The columns are made of kegs (now that’s what I call a keg stand). Wheat grass is used as floral decoration with kegs serving as vases, and the chandelier is made from beer glasses.

Meanwhile, the bar is lined with 20 beers on tap … and another 60 in bottles. They even have PBR on tap… and Jewish Brew He’Brew and Big Hoppy Monster … and the apricot-flavored beer I ordered on my lunch meeting. The Liberty’s beer selection rivals that of Revolution in NoDa and Mac’s BBQ right down the street.

They even rotate their beer selection … (more…)

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According to owner/operator Jay Runnfeldt, Cans has closed its doors. This is not a rumor, the lid on the can is officially closed. I wish a can opener would open it back up though because Cans has been a staple of Charlotte nightlife for the past few years, and we will miss it more than MC Hammer misses money and David Spade misses Chris Farley.

But when one door closes another one opens. Such as …

• Dandelion Market …
A small plate party place brought to us by the management team of Madison’s, Connoley’s, Tyber Creek Pub and The Attic. Opening in mid-December in the old Latorres restaurant location between Fiji and Basil, Dandelion Market will have 2 levels, 2 full bars, 24 craft style beers on tap, and 30 menu items ranging from $4-$15. Oh, and a coffee shop.

• The Wooden Vine is coming soon to a bar near you … as in Zink on Tryon.

• Speaking of wines and vines, The Grape at Northlake Mall is now Forte and they offer live jazz every Wednesday.

• Cyros Sushi and Sake Bar is opening soon in South Park.

• Twenty-Two in Plaza Midwood and The Liberty on South Boulevard both recently opened, too, which you can read about on Creative Loafing’s new comprehensive nightlife blog @LARGE

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My girlfriends joke that their periods last longer than my relationships … so I’m not really inclined to celebrate anniversaries. But I do tend to celebrate a lot of bar anniversaries. That, or there are just a lot of them this month.

From oldest to youngest …

• Cosmos Cafe is turning 12, and they’re celebrating all week. Do you remember turning 12? Boy, were those years awkward and adolescent. I wonder if Cosmos is going to start their period this year … because that’s about the only thing I remember about turning 12.

• Dixie’s Tavern is turning 11, and they’re celebrating this Friday with a free buffet from 8 p.m.-10 p.m. with all new menu items – which you can wash down with drinks so cheap it’ll almost feel like open bar.

• On the Roxx at the Lake is turning 5, and they’re celebrating next Saturday, Nov. 21 with live music from The Pursey Kerns Band, free food courtesy of Matt’s Chicago Dog, UFC 106 Pay Per View and a special guest DJ TBD. (As in To Be Announced … that’s not his DJ name. Just clarifying because that’s totally what I thought upon first read.) And … it’s a charity cover. $5 Donation Benefiting Huntington’s Disease Society of America

PS- There’s also an On the Roxx AND Cosmos in Ballantyne as well.

• Wild Wing Café in University is turning 1 … not to be confused with its red-headed stepsister in the EpiCentre. And they’re celebrating this Friday and Saturday with live music with The Brent Cates Band on Friday and The Aristocrats on Saturday. There is a picture of a cupcake in the ad, and I think they should give out those as well … just saying.

Whenever you see the words “Anniversary” next to a bar’s ad, you can already assume that there will be good deals and a good time. It is their birthday party after all!

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According to Jay-Z, “after the party it’s the hotel lobby” … or, you can just have the party at the hotel bar.

BLT in the Ritz Carlton just opened, and pretty much the entire hotel lobby is a lounge. It stands for Bistro Laurent Tourondel — not bacon, lettuce and tomato. In fact, a BLT in that joint would probably cost you $15, for lunch.

It’s not cheap… it is at the Ritz after all and the lounge is well, rather ritzy. And their organic cocktails and premium wine list of the lobby-lounge correspond with the price range of a steak house.

It’s been open a few weeks and since then has been the hot spot for N.Y. Knicks and pretty much every celebrity that comes through Charlotte. (more…)

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In spirit of Election Day I have decided to elect my favorite nightlife spot in Charlotte. The votes have been tallied, and I have come to a unanimous decision (with myself) that my favorite place to go for a night out is … (drum roll please) … The Time Cable Warner Arena.

Yes, really.

Not only have I seen concerts from Kanye West to Taylor Swift there (no, not together – or else he probably would’ve stolen the mic out of her hand), but the Bobcats season opener was last weekend against the N.Y. Knicks. So you know what that means … we have 30 some odd parties, er, I mean … games to go to.

But let’s just say I didn’t mind that the Knicks game went into double overtime, for the win … because I got to stay at the arena longer – they even have a post game party in their Front Court Bar.

In fact, I like going to the games so much that the Bobcats have noticed and started publishing my blogs on their site. See …

Check out Bobcats Break for behind the scenes, and in the stands reports from the dome of nightlife that is the arena.

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I am proud to announce that I have finally welcomed myself into the 21st century and am no longer a twit on Twitter — though still a twit in general. But I became twit-literate and created a Twitter page for the purpose of keeping you informed with up-to-the-second nightlife news.

@brittneycason you’ll find tweets like …

“Free glass of wine at Aquavina after show at Knight Theater. Knight Theater open house is Dec. 5 and they’ll have karaoke on stage!”

“Jewel just dedicated a song to @ryanonair …but he was in the bathroom, which @jacinda961 informed her – and the entire crowd”

“Paging all groupies and gold diggers: the entire NY Knicks team is at the BLT bar in the Ritz Carlton right now, but more importantly they have organic cocktails here!”

“Free parking across from Bentley’s RSVP on Church and at Luna Lounge on College – all walking distance to Uptown … just saying”

“I just had a girl brag to me about sleeping with Tucker Max…what am I suppose to do? Pat her on the back on say “Congrats on the Herpes”

“Andy Roddick is in Charlotte and seeking suggestions for nightlife … where should I tell him to go?”

“Why do women always complain about men leaving the toilet seat up? … they never complain when we leave it down”

“Carl Edwards just limped by me DURING the race – was he injured from the wreck? No, he broke his foot playing frisbee”

… so follow me, on Twitter, not home at night because that would be weird.

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The last stop before the stadium coming from Center City (where beers are reasonably priced) is an interesting little cafe Uptown.

I didn’t even know the place existed until I walked by it and was offered a beer “to go.”

As in, buy a beer from their patio beer tub and keep walking down the street with it. Last I checked, that was illegal. But everywhere I looked, everyone was already just walking around, beer in hand — passing cops in crosswalks on their way to the stadium.

I felt like I had died and gone to New Orleans. So do we abide by a different game book of laws on game day and the container one gets benched?

So I called and asked … no, the law does not get lifted on game days, the cops are just busy. So, they can bust you … but not if you’re in a private parking lot, they informed me. Either way, if you pour your beer into a styrofoam cup the foam it makes it appear like hot chocolate … I mean, that’s what I heard.

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Head over to clclt.com/halloween to see a continuing growing list we’ve compiled of Halloween parties and events. Happy tricking — I mean, trick-or-treating!

(photo taken at last year’s CarnEVIL by Jeff Hahne)

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