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When I went in, I had every intention of just getting a coffee and a pastry; however, when I arrived, I found out they serve a full breakfast menu! Naturally, I changed gears and opted for a sit-down breakfast. You order your meal at the counter, then go sit down. You get a number for your table, and then they bring the food out as it’s ready. I scan the menu and decide to split the breakfast bowl ($7.95) and the shakshuka ($9.95) with a friend.
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SIRVED is a registered trade-mark of Sirved Mobile Solutions Inc. The types who pay attention to food outlets tend to move on quickly. “Now approaching New Bern Station,” a robotic voice says as the Blue Line train slows to a stop in South End.
Eight + Sand Kitchen
Once our food arrives, I nab a crunchy potato “crunk” from the breakfast bowl and dip it in a vibrant parsley pesto sauce. The rest of the bowl is filled with an over-medium egg, sliced avocado, and sautéed kale, onions, and peppers. Each ingredient satisfies on its own, but if you can get a bit of everything in one bite, that’s where the dish shines. I soon run out of the parsley pesto sauce, though, which makes the dish a tad dry.
Menu for Eight + Sand Kitchen in Charlotte, NC
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Iraq sandstorm: Red skies as Iraq hit by eighth sandstorm in weeks.
Posted: Mon, 16 May 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]
The name of the restaurant is fitting given its location next to New Bern Station; the term “eight and sand” was once used by train crews to say safe travels and farewell. Inside, the café is as bright as this sunny December morning, with crisp white subway tiles, natural wood tabletops, and floor-to-ceiling windows. An L-shaped counter includes a full-service bar on one side and a station to order meals on the other. My wait and my bored cashiers put a damper on the whole peace and love, positive energy, unironically vote for Marianne Williamson vibe Eight and Sand has going. Eight + Sand Kitchen is full of natural light (above). The potato “crunks” are the star of the breakfast bowl (top).
Comfort food,
The eggs should be poached and added to the top of the stew only at the end of the cooking process. Eight + Sand’s shakshuka succeeds where mine failed. The eggs are runny and ooze into the tomato blend with hints of paprika, cumin, and cayenne. I dip sourdough bread—made from flour Eight + Sand mills in house—into the stew. When the new Spanish tapas restaurant opens in a few months, customers can expect a variety of contemporary takes on cuisine from the Catalonia region of Spain. The restaurant will offer other Spanish entrees aside from tapas, such as paellas, and a variety of alcoholic drinks, specifically sangrias and gin and tonics.
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After I take a number, I find a seat beneath string lights and next to some house plants with vines climbing down a bookcase. “Here Comes the Sun” plays softly in the background as a server arrives with my mimosa. While Eight+Sand only recently closed this weekend, Flores plans to keep a handful of the restaurant’s existing features, including the open kitchen. When all is said and done, Catalú’s interior will resemble the Mediterranean.
I think I ordered the wrong things on the menu, so I’ll 100% give it another shot. The vibe was super cute, and everyone was super friendly. The pastries also looked great — so I’ll put those on my list for next time, too. Vegan green goddess spread, sliced avocado arugula, everything bagel seasoning, and a free-range fried egg served on sliced country sourdough.
The greatest challenge in all of this, though, is dining out. And I don't need my cashier staff to Stepford Wife me, but they came off as especially unengaged and uninterested. My suspicions were confirmed by my whopping 15 minute wait for food. Eight and Sand is going to want to cut that time down significantly if they want sustained success from the Uptown lunch crowd. Charlotte media has a hit it and quit it relationship with restaurants.
I wish the breading was more flavorful, and that could be accomplished with a different choice in panko perhaps. The tenderness of the chicken suggests a lot of attention to detail during cooking, and in a market that tends to overcook its meat, I appreciated that. Next is the shakshuka, a tomato-and-egg stew from the Maghreb, Mediterranean, and Middle East. It’s a common breakfast in Israel, where I first had it. When I returned to Charlotte, I tried to make it at home, but I always cooked the eggs too long.
The texture of the country bread combined with the smells of the muenster cheese and mushroom mix makes for a multi-sensory experience. It's a thoughtful and layered dish, that unfortunately got a bit soggy as the meal went on. I'd suggest less oil while cooking the mushrooms and experimenting with the bread. The social media world is arguing about Popeyes and Chick-Fil-A, but it's nice to be reminded that chicken sandwiches can be an art. The red cabbage slaw is sweat and crunchy, a very nice touch.
I look out the window, see white patio furniture tucked under a sign for Eight + Sand written in script lettering, and hop out.
It is a walk up order and then seat yourself place. We went on a Sunday morning for brunch and the line was to the door. It took about minutes of waiting but tables were open with no wait after we ordered. The sandwich was great (it was a full sandwich but phone did not eat first so only half is pictured). On first bite, the mushroom melt is nearly perfect.
This mimosa comes in a wine glass with a sizable pour—no measly flute fills here. It’s about 85 percent Champagne and 15 percent freshly squeezed orange juice, light and delicate and dangerously delicious. I could have ordered four more; I didn’t drive, after all. An effective test of a brunch menu, I think, is its basic mimosa. It’s the same reason I always order Bolognese at an Italian-American restaurant first; if the restaurant can’t get that right, best to not order anything else. Any restaurant can serve a mimosa, but it takes a certain level of care to make a memorable one.
After five years off the light rail, Eight+Sand officially closed its doors on January 14, with little information regarding what will come next in this prime location. Now, it appears Que Hospitality, led by restaurateur Manny Flores, will be taking over the space to open Catalú by mid-Spring 2024, according to Axios. Que Hospitality is responsible for several other Charlotte Mexican restaurants, including Que Onda and Que Fresa.
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