Chef Hector Gonzales-Mora fans are thrilled for him to have a new home after departing Resident Culture. Gonzales-Mora’s Noche Bruta is a new Camp North End gem, taking over Hex’s sweeping space Thursday through Saturday evenings for a slightly fancier sit-down service. At reasonable prices, the hyper-limited menu still gets to a bit of everything — the flautas drenched in a salsa verde, the ribeye tacos, and a can’t-miss miso caramel churro. The crispy pork katsu sandwich marries Japanese, Hawaiian, and Mexican flavors between pillowy shokupan.

From the team behind the food truck, Katsu Kart, comes Dōzo, a teensy 12-seat situation with a very visible open kitchen over at Wesley Heights’s City Kitch. This is true hidden gem vibes, even though people have been following Katsu Kart like a disciplined mob for a while now. At this new set-up, the generous handful of Japanese American dishes are the focus — sit-down and take-out welcome. The $13-$15 bento box (an absolute midday steal) comes with a salad, miso soup, pickles, rice, and tofu or tonkatsu. The pork belly and crab fried rice with orbs of roe and the savory okonomiyaki will have customers returning quickly to this izakaya-adjacent joint doing something unique in the city.

New-kid-on-the-block Substrate is a neighborhood enoteca that adds stunning vermouths, amari, and natural wine to Optimist Park. While there’s no food menu, there is a whole shelf dedicated specifically to notorious hot girl foods —  tinned fish and cured meats —  to be perched atop saltines on the house. By day, the inside is lovely, with the sun casting flirty shadows on the oodles of natural wine bottles, but visitors will want to sip their amber and pink-hued drinks outside on the balcony or patio. Because it’s a small house with a front yard (and a parking lot), it really feels like someone’s yard party. By night, it’s moody with generous specials and a backdrop of something funky on aux, vinyl, or even live. The thrifty art on the walls and a sign that pokes a little fun at “natty wine” culture show this place's lighthearted, self-aware personality.

The Kindreds have done it again, but this time, it’s grander, smokier, and more seductive in the crux of Charlotte. Named after Queen Charlotte’s mother, Albertine, there’s a distinctly feminine, but regal and self-assured air gliding through this fine dining space. It can be felt from top  — the sweeping ceilings and glass entrance — to bottom — the scalloped silver platters, the goblet-like cocktail glasses, and the lustrous granite tables. But it’s not just Katy Kindred’s luxe design that makes a mark, it’s chef Joe Kindred’s meticulously smoked, wood-fired, za’atar-ed, and pickle-brined bites. Dishes like the gamebird panzotti, the mixed grill, and even the crispy potatoes flex deep wood-fired flavors. At Albertine, the ingredients of the American south — South Carolina quail, North Carolina tuna, and pickled okra — are met with a Mediterranean flair, bringing labneh, herby chermoula, or a Moroccan eggplant spread to the table. And notably — the razor clams escabeche and tuna crudo will challenge any preconceived notions that Charlotte can’t nail seafood.

El Malo brings a vital addition to the heart of Plaza Midwood — street tacos. Order the fresh tacos a la carte and pair them with the agua frescas or Jarritos for a proper surfside feel. It’s unquestionably casual here, with a menu of tacos, burritos, and quesadillas made for a quick bite. The burritos —  from a packed breakfast burrito to a California burrito loaded with fries —  are nothing less than enormous. Despite being in a shopping center, an outdoor space has been fashioned thanks to a few big picnic tables.

Greg and Subrina Collier are putting the South’s long-practiced meat-plus-three philosophy centerstage at their new family-style restaurant, 3rd & Fernwood, in the Metropolitan shopping center. The meal starts like every good meal should — with complimentary bread paired with an unforgettable whipped sangria butter. The $10-and-under sides steal the show, like the velvety hambone grits, which eat more like mac n’ cheese. And one can’t not wipe the bowl of braised collars clean. The all-day menu runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., but once the bar is up and running, those 30+ bar seats and dainty chalices of wine glasses will beckon diners later into the evening. The Cesca-style chairs and deep red walls soften up an otherwise corporate plaza.

This wine-bar-meets-bottle shop is laid-back and fit for a late afternoon sip. It’s a dress-up, dress-down, stop-in, or sit-down type feel. With pretty tiles and a conversation-inducing marble bar, the look is polished and not quite lived in, emanating a youthful, hyper-contemporary vibe akin to South End. Strolling through Frenchy’s is like entering a maze of international and natural wines. There’s just more and more and more — and you can build your own cheese board. Enveloped by breweries, Frenchy’s is an enticing and refreshing option for a post-work unwinding. With a few snacky, to-go food items here, focus is very much on the world of wine and a local selection of craft beers.

There’s good, there’s great, and there’s paradigm-shifting. Union BBQ is boldly serving Texas barbecue in North Carolina out of a weekend-only food truck. Dynamic duo Holden Sasser and Chase Young serve a mean, best-in-class brisket with a charred crust that turns into a tender, layered, smokey bite, paired best with sour pickles. The lime zest on the pork spare ribs is a quiet hero, and the beef cheek barbacoa sandwich, deluged in rajas con crema and a touch of cilantro, is sloppy in all of the right ways. Like a proud curtain call, the Big Deborah, a fresh-baked and double-the-size take on a Little Debbie’s oatmeal cream pie, nostalgically closes out the meal. Tracking down the smoked meat served in to-go pizza boxes at Union Barbecue is worth the effort — like an oh-so-satisfying game of hard-to-get. Union Barbecue’s Instagram has updates on its latest whereabouts.

Calle Sol has been a cornerstone of Commonwealth in Plaza Midwood where it has fit like a glove for a few years now, but its recent expansion into SouthPark has brought new, colorful life into an otherwise professional, pragmatic area of Charlotte. Plainly put, dining at this Calle Sol — with its blend of Peruvian and Cuban dishes — is fun. The Inca cola, the robust rum bar with punchy, crushable beverages, and the swirly orange and turquoise design touches turn uninspired minimalism on its head. These details are a lovely backdrop to the Peruvian ceviche and the Chino Latino chaufas, which leave diners with leftovers in tow. And then there is the banana tres leches, which has no business being so good except that combining cake, cream, and rum caramel has a certain je ne sais quoi. Calle Sol is by far the most interesting lunch option in the area — time to impress the people, people.