Heirloom: Charlotte Foodies' Tasting Experience & Review

Last night, I lived a foodie's dream come true.  Due to my recent contributions to www.cltfoodies.com, I was able to join diners at Heirloom Restaurant for a six course meal.


Um, hello, six courses?  I didn't even know that was possible.  Here is a photo play by play of the evening along with my thoughts on each round.


1^st Course - Lucky Clay’s Butter LettuceBosky Acres Cream Cheese, Against the Grain Farm Jimmy Nardello Peppers, Ann Marie’s Dutch Salt Crust Croutons, Boyle Farm Red Onion

 

Review:  A very tasty salad due to the spicy peppers.  I love spicy food, so it was perfect for me.  I enjoyed the presentation of the salad as it was served on a slate slab to each diner.


2^nd Course - “The Chef’s Farmer’s” Butternut Squash BisqueSpiced Squash Seeds, Wicking Bed Lemon Balm Oil

Review:  This soup was very creamy.  I find that butternut squash can have a strange taste sometimes, but this one was incredibly creamy and smooth on the pallet.  I assume that was due to the lemon balm oil.  The squash seeds added a nice crunch.


3^rd Course - Harmony Ridge Egg Yolk Pasta RusticoDover Farm Heirloom Tomato Sauce, Dunnie Smith’s NC Wild Shrimp, Ma Cha’s Thai Chili, Barbee Farm Confit Garlic, Wicking Bed Arugula, UAV Mozzarella

Review:  The sauce on this pasta tastes like a buffalo chicken dip (that is a compliment in my book).  The type of pasta noodle was an unusual choice, but I still enjoyed it.  There were entire cloves of garlic in the dish which I loved.


4^th Course - Harmony Ridge Duck BreastAgainst the Grain Farm Magic Molly Potatoes, Paul Brewington’s Kale, Duck Jus

Review:  I'm not an expert on duck, but I found this course delicious.  The potatoes and kale were prepared to perfection.


5^th Course - Cackleberry YogurtAnn Marie’s Caramelized Spent Grain & Chef Foraged White Walnut Granola, Rooftop Honey, Renfrow Hardware Wonderful Pomegranate

Review:  Another fantastic presentation with the cheese course arriving on the slate.  I wasn't sure what to think about this dish based on appearance only.  I expected to receive yogurt in a bowl or small dish.  The pomegranates were very tart...a little too tart for my taste.  The spent grain and white walnut granola were very crunchy.




6^th Course - S’moreRenfrow Hardware Fire Roasted Chestnuts, Graham Cake, French Broad Chocolate Sauce, Mallow

Review:  This course was the one I had looked forward to the most all day.  It lived up to expectations.  The graham cake had a saltiness to it that paired perfectly with the sweet chocolate and marshmallow.


The overall experience at Heirloom was fantastic.  I would definitely go there again.  The service was on point.  The chef and pastry chef came out at the end of the evening to say hello.  They are both very humble and have a passion for preparing food.


For anyone hoping to take part in a foodie dinner experience like this one in the future, make sure you are following @cltfoodadventures on Instagram as well as the website www.cltfoodies.com.  More opportunities are currently in the works!