Dish   

The first thing you notice when you walk into dish is the homey decor. You'd swear the decorators had dropped in on your folks' place to snag some souvenirs and scenic plates from your mamma's curio cabinet or your daddy's mantle. It's an odd mix that comes off as distinctively Southern, a little redneck and a lot rural. You just know if there were a porch, there'd be a couch out there and maybe a tasseled floor lamp, too. The menu could be described as Eclectic Southern: The mashed potatoes have tons of garlic and the couscous contains black-eyed peas. The Southern Delight plate -- featuring fried green tomatoes, deviled eggs and horseradish dill sauce, couscous, and a biscuit -- was so popular on opening night that the kitchen ran out of eggs. The biscuits are good -- maybe the best in Charlotte -- flaky and doughy just like Grandma's and they accompany every entree -- even the salad selections. This is comfort food with a capital C. So pull up a dinette chair, hang with some friends, smear jam on a steaming biscuit, and just try to remember the last time you saw a velvet Elvis painting while ordering grilled polenta and fried green tomatoes. Just don't forget it's not all about the food here: On weekends, after the sun goes down, families vanish and hipsters slink out from the shadows (or migrate from the nearby Penguin). The kitchen shuts down at 11 on Fridays and Saturdays, but the beer (five brews on tap) flows until midnight or so, and even as late as 2AM if there's a crowd.