I will be attending the Painter's convention at the Charlotte Convention Center next week, staying at the Hilton Garden Inn on E 2nd. Would like ideas on nearby restaurants and attractions.

Attractions?? In Charlotte? Well, there's some sort of motor speedway for the NASCAR "people."

In terms of restaurants, you'll find plenty of Ruby Tuesdays and other chains on just about every corner. Maybe even an Applebee's!!!
If you looking for originality, you're going to the wrong place. But, then again, I guess you don't have a choice since it's a convention.

If the Hornets are in town, go see a game since it'll be one of their final games in Charlotte. The team is leaving after this season.

Yes, dear Fran, you have a point. As every Charlottean will tell you, this is a great place to live, but I wouldn't want to visit here.

Actually, there are some good restaurants uptown, which is were Sue will be. For seafood, try LaVecchi'as. I really like Palomino. Bistro 100 is always good. There is a small Italian place called Carlo's that is also good.
If you like "soul food," try Merts Heart and Soul.

If you want to take a cab, try The Pewter Rose, which is not too far from uptown. It's an eclectic place, always voted "best for a first date."

If you go to a Hornet's game, you'll be alone in the stands. Bring your own hotdogs, I think they've shut down the concessions for lack of business.

Sue,
I went to Charlotte a few years ago on business and went to an art museum that was very nice. I think the name of it was the Mint Museum of Art.

Sue, There are not a lot of chain type restauants uptown which in my opinion is a good thing. And there are a lot of great places to eat--here are a few of my favorites.

Latorre's Nuevo Latin Cuisine
118 W. 5th St.
yummy!

Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery
401 N. Tryon St.
good food and fairly generous portions

Alexander Michael's
401 W. 9th. St.
a restaurant/bar so tucked away in 4th ward that you can easily miss it

If you want a nice steak and have a nice expense account Capital Grille
201 N. Tryon St. is better than Morton's

Mimosa Grill
Address:
327 S. Tryon St.

for lunch you might try
Johnny Burrito
301 S. Tryon St.
Same building as Mimosa, just in the basement

Sue, hope you had a great convention. I did. Thanks to the info posted here had some great meals at Mimosas, Merts and Rock Bottom. I also liked the convenience and prices at the College Restaurant. Charlotte is a pretty city with many lovely fountains. It was strange however that everything closed up on Sunday.

topping

I anticipate relocating to Charlotte by year's end to join my GF who has just moved there. Although I haven't had a chance to get out and sample the locall cuisine, those who insist that Charlotte has nothing but chain restaurants need to look further. Yes... there are Applebee's and the link on every corner throughout the mass of suburban sprawl but there's more. My initial research indicated that there are at least two Cuban restaurants, six Vietnamese restaurants, one Ethiopian and one Jamaican. That's just the beginning of my search for ethinc offerings. Things are a bit spread out so be prepared to drive some distance for some but there are options. When I was visiting, we went for lunch and coffee in the Dilworth section, just south of downtown Charlotte (why DO they call it UPtown?!!). Dilworth appears to have a nice selection of restaurants ranging from casual ethnic to upscale Italian and contemporary.

Owen, the Independence Road area is over run with chains but the closer you get to the south end, the better the restaurants. Uptown, Southpark, and Dilworth has great eating! You will not be disappointed or lack for culinary stimulation.

It's called Uptown because it's built atop a small hill, plus back in the 80's when economic times were tough for the central city, economic boosters thought that calling downtown "Uptown" would send the message that things where looking up. Kind of goony, yes, but you have to admit that Uptown Charlotte is indeed looking up these days.

"hauntedhead" - thanks for the explanation. It certainly does appear that the boosterism is justified - I was pleasantly surprised at what I found in "uptown" Charlotte. The New York City boosters havhe been less succcessful in image manipulation - they've been trying for several years to get everyone to refer to the area around from 8th to 10th Ave in the 40's as "Clinton" and we all still call it Hell's Kitchen (a name that IMHO will always stick regardless of how the neighborhood changes - it just sounds cool!).

Owen, it's great to hear from someone who liked Charlotte! The city gets a bad rap and endless sneers because it's a sunbelt city with only pockets of history left, as well as a problem with sprawl... but people never notice that Charlotte still has more than its share of historic structures, thousands upon thousands of acres of parks and gardens, superior arts and culture, great public art, and is working harder than any other major city to foster smart growth to remedy its existing sprawl and prevent more.

Expect things Uptown to only get better as thousands more people move in, what with all those apartment buildings and condoes going up in the central city -- not to mention the new university there. Charlotte may look new and shiny, but it's building neighborhoods as good as any in the US. Charlotte's a great, friendly and manageable city with a lot to offer. I sometimes think that people gripe and moan about it because they like to. In Creative Loafing, the independent weekly newspaper, they harp endlessly about how uncool the city is, yet in the next breath (or article as it may be) carp about any efforts to improve the situation, like the new arena being built Uptown, which will generate Uptown retail and residential growth beyond anyone's wildest dreams. Heaven forbid Charlotte become a model city, as it surely is becoming -- what would the terminally hip complain about then?