North and South Carolina’s 2025 Eater Award Winners | Eater Carolinas

"The dining room at Albertine is smoky and seductive, creating the ideal atmosphere for chef Joe Kindred’s menu featuring flavors of the Levant with influences from the American South. Inspired by traditions from Syria, Lebanon, and Israel, Kindred puts out dishes like crispy South Carolina quail with cucumber labneh and grilled short rib with fattoush and peanut dukkah. Not only is this kind of food rarely seen in Charlotte, but it’s also a spectacular space befitting the Queen City. Soaring ceilings, ​​plush banquettes, dim lighting, and feminine, soft touches like Old World tapestries and art create an atmosphere that makes you think, “Am I really in Charlotte?”" - Erin Perkins