New To Our 50 Best Restaurants List: Albertine
Joe and Katy Kindred give guests the royal treatment in their new Uptown spot
Americans, on average, eat out three times a month. But how often is that dining experience superb from start to finish? So many factors come into play—menu, service, ambience—and it’s rare when a restaurant gets everything right.
If anyone in Charlotte can accomplish this, it’s Joe and Katy Kindred. The couple behind Kindred, Milkbread, and Hello, Sailor have added a Mediterranean-meets-Southern restaurant to their portfolio, and it might be their finest work yet. Albertine opened in September, on the ground floor of uptown’s Duke Energy Building, almost 18 months after the Kindreds announced their expansion to the city center. It was worth the wait. This is the kind of place that gets national attention—and holds a permanent spot on this magazine’s list of best restaurants.
Albertine is named after Queen Charlotte’s mother, Duchess Elizabeth Albertina, and Katy made every inch of the 6,100-square-foot interior feel luxurious and regal. The 12-seat marble bar is a work of art, and the 100-seat dining room teems with custom millwork, brass accents, banquettes upholstered in plush velvet, and high-gloss walnut cabinetry. The lighting is soft but not so dim you can’t read the menu, and the music doesn’t compete with the hum of conversation. The wait staff sports freshly pressed blue shirts and keeps hands tucked behind their backs as they glide through the dining room. Servers know the menu inside and out and remember each order without writing anything down.
Joe and Katy Kindred
Five-time James Beard semifinalist Joe designed the menu alongside Chef de Cuisine Mark Machanic, and wine director Danny Ike created a beverage program with signature cocktails and Mediterranean-leaning wines. Cocktail highlights include the Bohemian ($17), which combines vodka, elderflower, and pink grapefruit and has a swirl on top that looks like latte art. The Infante ($18) is a tequila-based libation with lime, rose water, orgeat (a nutty, floral syrup), and a sprinkle of nutmeg.
The Chilled Seafood section features Rock Crab ($28), NC Oysters ($31), and a Shellfish Platter ($109) with the chef’s daily selections. Meze is an absurdly good lineup of dips and spreads served with wedges of Lebanese flatbread. The Red Schug ($6) is a spreadable blend of chili peppers, herbs, and spices, and the Whipped Feta ($7) comes with a drizzle of marjoram oil and sumac, a tangy red spice made from dried berries. These flavor mashups will throw your tastebuds a magnificent curveball before you even reach the appetizers.
The Venetian-style Asparagus ($17) is a shareable plate of asparagus coated in a tempura-style batter and topped with pomegranate molasses, saffron, and curry leaves. Wood-Grilled Chicken Liver Toast ($16) is a thick slice of sourdough topped with savory chopped chicken liver, a splash of sweet vin santo, and a dash of black mustard that gives the dish a bold, horseradish-like flavor. The Crispy Pickle-Brined SC Quail ($26) is served atop a cucumber-yogurt salad that’s similar to tzatziki and topped with Aleppo pepper hot honey. Umami isn’t an adequate word to describe these mind-bending flavor combinations—this deserves its own category.
Smoked Game Bird Panzotti is topped with baby kale and fried pork skin.
The Wood-Grilled Mahi Mahi ($42) is plated with a citrusy herb salad that punches up the mild, semi-sweet fish. For something heartier, order the Smoked Game Bird Panzotti ($29). The triangular-shaped ravioli are stuffed with foie gras and served in a bowl of rich, savory sauce that’s damn near impossible to stop sopping up with bread.
While dessert is a mandatory finale to the fine-dining experience, many high-end restaurants rely on a predictable menu of chocolate lava cake, crème brûlée, and bread pudding. Not this one. The Sicilian Pistachio Gelato ($8) is made with Greek olive oil for a velvety texture and Maldon sea salt to balance the sweetness. The Wood-Grilled Milkbread Babka ($13) is a slab of the Kindreds’ signature Japanese milk bread drenched with sherry and topped with date caramel, Nutella, and a scoop of labneh ice cream (like a frozen Greek yogurt). You can order one to share, but forks may fly.
Don’t leave without trying: The Knafeh Cheesecake is a culinary masterpiece.
If you only order one dessert, though, get the Knafeh Cheesecake ($14). It’s got a whole world of texture going on, starting with a thick graham cracker base and a layer of silky, not-too-sweet custard. The apricot crème anglaise is both sweet and tangy, and the shower of pistachios and fried phyllo dough shavings gives it a satisfying crunch. Desserts like this one are why #foodporn exists.
Your eyes might roll back into your head. You might even drop an expletive or two. Surely Queen Charlotte and her mom would understand.
525 S. Tryon St., Ste. 125
Hours: 5:00-10:00 p.m., Wednesday-Sunday
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:
Parking is available in the Duke Energy Plaza building, and Albertine provides 3-hour validation.
