Recently, we went to try local restaurateur Jon Dressler’s recent creation, Chapter 6, located in South End. For those only familiar with what is current South End, the area has a storied past. It first became prominent when, in 1825, local businessman Samuel McComb discovered a large vein of gold on his farm near what is now Bank of America stadium. He opened McComb Mine and several other mines opened nearby as well.
In 1852, the first railroad came to Charlotte with its tracks going through present day South End and those tracks are still active today. The railroad ensured that Charlotte would thrive compared to other similar-sized towns in the area.
SouthEnd has seen the rise of several significant businesses that were born in Charlotte. Examples include the country’s largest Pepsi bottling company, Charlotte Pipe and Foundry, numerous textile mills, the company whose owner coined the term “air conditioning”, the first Bojangles store, and Lance Snack Foods.
In 2007, the long-awaited Lynx Blue Line opened which really catalyzed a plethora of apartment, retail, and office developments along the light rail corridor. By 2012, there were 5,100 people living in SouthEnd.
The beginning of the brewery craze began when South End Brewery opened at Atherton Mill which brought craft brewing to the area. In 2011, the next brewery opened coincidentally in a building that my brother and I own called Triple C Brewery. At the time, we did not know if those guys would make it, but they have been a great business. And the opening of their brewery really set off the wave of other breweries to follow. Today there are 11 breweries located in the area, and South End looks nothing like it did 20 years ago.
Recently, a wave of mid-rise office development has occurred as companies realized that a lot of its workforce wanted to work in an area where they could live, work, and play. And now, while the Uptown office market struggles with the highest vacancy rate in its history, the South End market has become so desirable that office rates there have surpassed the rates charged in Uptown. That is a first for Charlotte’s office market.
Chapter 6 joins a long list of other restaurants that have recently opened in South End. Rare Roots Hospitality owners, Jon and Kim Dressleer, own several other successful restaurants in Charlotte such as Dressler's Steakhouse, The Porter’s House, Joan’s Bakery & Deli, and one of our favorites, Fin & Fino. We wrote about it in 2022 here: Fin & Fino Foodie Review
We took our sons, Jack and Davis, Jack’s girlfriend, Sara, and my Dad, Jim Sr., to Chapter 6 and had a very nice experience for dinner. Located in a new development on Hawkins street called The Line, it is also home to Sycamore Brewery’s new brewery along with several floors of office space. The tapas-style menu incorporates flavors from countries in the Mediterranean such as Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, France, and Italy. While there are a small number of ala carte dishes for those who want their own food, we shared several of the tapas and small plate options. Our favorites were the Whipped Ricotta with pesto and grilled bread for dipping, Octopus and Chorizo, Gnocchi and Lamb, Tuna a la Plancha, Spaghetti with mussels, clams and crushed tomatoes. We ended up ordering more of the spaghetti and octopus dishes since everyone at the table liked them so much. If you have ever tried octopus sushi, you know that it is very chewy and has little flavor. But roasted octopus is entirely different with tons and flavor and it is as tender as anything that will eat. It was fun to see Sara and my dad try it for the first time and like it.
For dessert, we ordered Mom’s Cheesecake and the Seasonal Gallette which was kind of like a cross between an apple turnover and apple pie. It was just okay. But the cheesecake, which is mom Joan Dressler’s recipe, was quite delicious.
As you know the question that we always ask ourselves is “would we go back?” We typically do not review the places where the answer is no. And with Chapter 6, the answer is yes. It would be a great place to go with 2-3 other couples who are wiling to sample lots of dishes. The atmosphere is nice and there is lots to do in the South End area before or after your meal. When the weather is nice, they even have a large patio along the Rail Trail which would be a fun experience as well. We’re definitely planning to check that out this spring.
If you have any recommendations of restaurants that we should review, send me an email at jfagan@faganrealtygroup.com. And also, let us know if you try Chapter 6!
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