Small but Celebrated City
Thirty miles south of Charlotte is a small but celebrated city. While being home to only about 13,000 people, this place packs a big punch (especially in the restaurant arena). With a charming downtown sprinkled with shops, boutiques and elegant restaurants as well as a bustling market on Saturday mornings, you can’t miss wonderful Waxhaw.
Eat: Le Cochon D’Or
Pronounced “Lay Co-Shawn Door,” or, in English, “The Golden Pig,” this French restaurant opened earlier this year in the previous spot of the famed Heritage Food + Drink. (Don't worry. A new concept from the creators of Heritage moved to the Elizabeth neighborhood of Charlotte.) The owners of this restaurant also own Aix en Provence, the well-regarded French restaurant in Myers Park. Some of the menu items here include cassoulet and rich moules frites; choucroute garnie, a confit pork belly dish with sauerkraut, Alsatian sausage and fingerling potatoes and the quenelle du Lyonnaise, a scallop dumpling with roasted mushrooms and a lobster sauce. Is your mouth watering yet?
Drink: The Dreamchaser’s Brewery
Open seven days a week, this Waxhaw watering hole offers a half dozen microbrews and an assortment of both red and white wines. The brewery hosts music bingo every Tuesday night, trivia every Wednesday night, an open mic night on Thursdays and live music every Friday and Saturday night.
Do: Waxhaw Line Dancers
If you’re looking to cut up a few rugs, this is your spot. The Waxhaw Line Dancing Club opened in 2012, and it bills itself as a dance club for both beginners and seasoned dancers of all ages. The club’s website also offers answers about what to wear (not regular tennis shoes) and a detailed step sheet for the week’s upcoming dances. The club is only open on Friday evenings, though, so plan ahead.