March/April 2010 - Epicurean Charlotte Food & Wine Magazine

seats
& eats
a family affair
by christine yarbrough
images by ashley blake summerlin
looking for a neighborhood restaurant with that nonchain,
owner-operator feel? Look no further than
Lebowski’s Neighborhood Grill on East Blvd. in Dilworth—
a true family affair. Kirk Weaver, along with daughters
Jessica and Amelia, opened Lebowski’s in April 2009. Being
an independently owned and operated enterprise, you can
sense the hands-on feel of the place. Most of Kirk’s shifts
involve kitchen duty, while Amy and Jessica take care of
the front of the house greeting and serving their guests.
The feel of Lebowski’s is casual, comfortable and a little
bit Buffalo. Kirk hails from Buffalo, NY, and borrows a
bit of its flavor for the menu. Those who know Kirk will
remember him as the founder/operator of both Standing
Room Only (’80) and Township Grill (’97).
Weaver, someone who has been in the local restaurant
business for what he describes as ‘a long time,’ wanted
to create an atmosphere where people could come and
enjoy themselves, but also have a menu with diversity and
quality. They use all-natural ground beef and cook their
own roast beef and pulled pork BBQ, for example. Weaver
and his daughters have made Lebowski’s very welcoming.
With its bookshelf full of board games, free wi-fi, flat-screen
TVs, live music or the pub-inspired decor, there is always
something to keep you occupied.
When I go to a restaurant, I always take a look at the beer
list—you can tell a lot about a restaurant by their beer list—
and Lebowski’s is no exception. I decided to sample one of
Weaver’s favorites, Genesee Beer. It’s brewed in upstate New
York, and as Kirk fondly recalls, his “first indulgence with
beverage of the malted variety.” They have an impressive
list to choose from, which includes over 50 foreign and craft
beers like Big Boss Angry Angel, Duck Rabbit Milk Stout
and Pilsner Urquell. Their wine list consists of several well
chosen and modestly priced styles, including Morro Bay
Chardonnay and Gouguenheim Malbec.
With my Genesee in hand, I start out my tasting
experience with every Southern girl’s favorite appetizer: fried
pickles. Now, I’ve had some really good fried pickles, and
Lebowski’s rival the best of Charlotte. They were crisp with
just enough heat and perfect when dipped in the homemade
ranch dressing. For an appetizer, I suggest the Buffalo
chicken nachos. With the tang of the blue cheese and the
heat of the buffalo sauce, it’s an explosion of flavor! If you
want to stay the spicy route, try their Legendary Buffalo
Wings. They are meaty and crisp—just the way a wing should
be. If you like your wings with a little more sweetness, the
Carolina Gold or the signature Jerkiyaki is probably the way
to go, with the perfect ratio of sweetness and spice.
No neighborhood grill would be complete without a great
burger or sandwich and Lebowski’s has a few standouts. The
signature Beef on ‘Weck is an excellent alternative to their
impressive char-grilled burgers. When I took a bite into the
sandwich, I was astonished at the roast beef’s tenderness.
It was so moist and tender it literally melted in my mouth.
Weaver suggested I add a little horseradish sauce to the
sandwich, and it was the perfect compliment!
As someone who also enjoys a vegetarian meal, I am
always looking for non-meat substitutes. Lebowski’s has
several vegetarian options, but I have found
my favorite with Lebowski’s Veggie Panini.
It can be difficult for a vegetarian dish to be
filling, but this sandwich was as satiating as
it was delicious. Grilled between two pieces
of sourdough bread is the perfect medley of
mushrooms, baby spinach, red and yellow
bell peppers, zucchini, tomato bruschetta, red
onion and provolone cheese.
I wanted to finish the entire sandwich, but I
was told to leave room for the Haddock fish fry
and the cheesiest macaroni & cheese I’d ever tasted. The large
Haddock filet was crispy, flaky and mild. Both were old-school
and reminded me of my grandmother’s cooking. It was just
another reason that Lebowski’s feels like a little bit of home.
As I mentioned before, beer lists say a lot about a
lebowski’s neighborhood grill
When I took a bite
into the sandwich,
I was astonished
at the roast beef ’s
tenderness. It was
so moist it literally
melted in my mouth.
1524 east boulevard (across from cantina 1511)
704.370.1177 • www.lebowskisgrill.com
clockwise from
top left: beef
on 'weck with
garlic french
fries; grilled
veggie panini,
beef on 'weck,
sizzle salad,
mac & cheese;
buffalo nachos;
lebowski's interior;
lebowski's
legendary
wings; kirk,
jessica and
amelia
restaurant, but their top shelf signature White Russian and
martini menu says even more about Lebowski’s. All named
after characters of the namesake movie, each drink has its
own personality to match the character. The Stranger is a
dessert in itself with Bailey’s caramel, and Donny’s Element
will make you exclaim “I am the Walrus”!
Look for new menu items like the Tuscan
Turkey burger with tomato bruschetta, pesto
aioli and provolone or the Pimento Cheese
Burger with panko dipped onion rings (on
the burger) as well as an array of French
bread pizzas. Also, get a true value taste of
Lebowski’s with their ‘¢heap Date Night’
specials, which offer $20, $30 and $40 allinclusive
meal options.
Lebowski’s is easily located on East
Boulevard, and with the delicious food, superb
beer and wine selection and the fact that they’re open late
(even a special late night and service industry menu are
offered), you can’t go wrong with Lebowski’s. It’s sure to
become your new favorite neighborhood bar and grill.E
Christine is a freelance writer living in Charlotte. You can contact her at Christine3187@gmail.com.
10 M a r c h • a p r i l 2 0 1 0 epicurean charlotte food & wine volume 2 • issue 2 w w w. e p i c u r e a n c h a r lot t e fo o da n dw i n e.co m 11