Specialty roaster Hex Coffee moved into a 2,700-square-foot space at Camp North End and now offers plenty of cafe seating, coffee drinks, natural wines, mocktails, and Japanese-inspired fare like karaage with white miso waffles.

Popular Korean-meets-Southern barbecue spot Seoul Food Meat Company opened a second location in the Optimist Park neighborhood. Like the original, expect menu mashups like pimento corn cheese, green tea cornbread, soy-pickled deviled eggs, and plenty of smoky meats.

The latest food hall to join the Charlotte scene, Urban District Market opened with several meaty stalls and a craft beer/soju bar. Restaurants joining the group include katsu spot Crispy Patty, Hand Chop Burger Company, the Rare Butcher, and more.

Chefs Oscar Johnson and Daryl Cooper opened Jimmy Pearls in 2020 but went on to pursue the food truck life in 2021. Now they are back at food hall Market at 7th Street to bring their famous Uncle Gene’s fish sandwich, shrimp rolls, and other Virginia tidewater cuisine to the masses. Get the Bubba Chunks — basically a warm corn fritter/hush puppy with sorghum butter — a non-serious name, for a seriously good dish.

Biblio is the sister wine bar to tasting menu restaurant Counter. It has the same eccentric expertise as its sibling but is more accessible to those who couldn’t score a reservation next door. Biblio boasts a catalog of over 500 wines, and each is priced to include small plates created to pair with the wine and the customer. A recent Instagram caption read, “We don’t serve cheap wine, we don’t cook shit food,” so it’s a bit of a different attitude for an upscale wine bar.

Popular Indian and Nepali restaurant Curry Gate recently expanded to South Boulevard with all the same menu favorites and more space for customers to dine in the restaurant. Expect chicken tikka masala, aloo gobi, saag paneer, samosas, and all the other classics that made the original location a hit since 2020.

Rooftop restaurant Hestia joins Ballantyne Village with views of Charlotte and tons of wagyu beef. There’s wagyu bone marrow, wagyu tacos, wagyu fried rice, a torched wagyu roll, and a $399 wagyu steak. For those not looking for red meat, there is a selection of sushi and other Japanese-inspired dishes.