I was back in Charlotte last weekend and Mario and I got a chance to meet up with some of my high school buddies that are new to the area. I’ve been debating on whether or not to do some name-dropping in this post, but I think I’m gonna go ahead and drop away One of my besties just moved to Charlotte to be with her longtime boyfriend and my old friend, recently acquired Bobcats player Tyrus Thomas. They requested a soul/Southern food spot, and after some debate, Mario and I decided to meet them at Boudreaux’s Louisiana Kitchen in NoDa. Obviously Boudreaux’s is not the name of this post, and that’s because I didn’t feel motivated to write a full post after our disappointing meal. The crawfish and spinach dip appetizer was the highlight. I had an oyster po’boy that was unseasoned and borderline gross. There was one interesting point on the menu–their selection of hurricanes. We couldn’t decide whether it was in poor taste or kind of funny/clever that they named their different hurricane concoctions after actual hurricanes. The Hurricane Katrina was made up of spirits from locations that followed the course of the hurricane. Hmm…

Anyway, toward the end of the meal, my friends asked if we had heard of Amelie’s French Bakery, also in the NoDa area. When we said no, they both insited we go right away. Tyrus, usually a pretty goofy guy, got extremely serious when he started to describe a fruit tart they serve. “Jessica. Ok they have this graham cracker crust. And then this custard that is really, really good. Then on top are these perfectly sliced strawberries and berries and stuff, gracefully arranged and topped with this apple jam….ok we have to go right now.” And so we did:

Tyrus and I went for the fruit tart, the bestie got an eclair and a salted caramel bar, Mario chose a honeybun, and we got a plate of macarons to share:

The tart and its “graceful fruits” were as delicious as promised. The custard was sweet and cream cheese-like, but lighter. The fruits were all super fresh and juicy. I was happy with my selection. I sampled the salted caramel and honey bun, which were both quite sticky. I liked the flavor of the salted caramel and that it was on a slightly crunchy (possibly cookie or chocolate graham?) base. We all agreed the honey bun would have benefited from a zap in the microwave. The macarons, which I had talked up to everyone, were kind of a disappointment. They didn’t have quite the right crunchy-dense-creamy consistency and the flavors weren’t as intense as I was expecting. I’m considering sending my friends a box from Sucré so they know I wasn’t just gushing over nothing

Amelie’s serves a ton of items outside the pastry realm, including quiches, sandwiches, and soups (which I’m told are also very good). They also sell par-baked (so you can take it home and eat it hot) and fresh breads (must try their baguettes). The icing on the cake, however, is that they’re open 24 hours a day! So if you want a fruit tart at 3am, they’ve got it. I definitely think this will be a regular stop when I’m in Charlotte. I know I’m a sucker for dessert, but trust me, even non-dessert people will like Amelie’s!

www.ameliesfrenchbakery.com

www.boudreauxs.com