This is part of an ongoing series titled Mailbag, items readers submit via email or our feedback form (not social media, everybody already sees that). We get a ton of feedback — this is not close to everything (it’s about 5%), but it’s a good sample.
In response to Ted’s newsletter intro on May 7
“Just read Ted’s Saturday letter and couldn’t agree more about Atlanta being terrible. I grew up in Atlanta and it has so many issues. I am so afraid that Charlotte is going to become similar to Atlanta as the city grows.” – A
In response to Katie’s newsletter intro on May 4
“Katie’s bit about the Beyonce concert REALLY irked me. Here are my thoughts. 1. It is a Beyonce concert in another city – you should of left at 2:00pm at the latest. (amateur move) 2. Why were you ‘over it’ after waiting an hour and half? It is the Queen for crying out loud. If she wants you to wait you wait. (clearly not a true fan) 3. ALSO There was no mention of how Bey was a rockstar for sticking it out in the rain and paying 60,000 to go overtime. Have some respect for Beyonce and the beehive please !!!! The concert was amazing and you should of waited it out!” – C
In response to: EXPLAINER: The showdown between Gov. McCrory and the federal government
“I was just curious. Did anyone attend the Wells Fargo Championship? Did you use the public facilities? While this HB2 is quite a mess (pun intended), the bathrooms at the tournament were unisex and incidents did not abound. Perhaps golf enthusiasts are better behaved and are simply less prone to committing egregious acts while taking bio breaks.” – A
“What can I do about HB2? Like many people in NC, my husband and I are furious about HB2. It has become such a passionate topic in our house that we often have to change the subject to stop forehead veins from popping. I have never been a very politically involved citizen. The fact that I registered to vote in time for primary elections was a personal victory. BUT I want to fight this awful bill! I have signed every petition I come across and sent the Governor’s office repeated emails, but I feel useless. IF the Governor chooses to once again dig his heels in after the Justice Department’s mandate, what can the average citizen do?? Please please write an article about how we can make our opinions heard!” – A
In response to: Inside Live Nation’s music venue strategy in Charlotte
“The problem with Charlotte has never been lack of venues, or lackluster booking. The problem has always been the fact that people don’t go to shows, especially the of kind of shows the new Live Nation venue says they want to book. I hope it succeeds, but I’m afraid a lot of bands and booking agencies know that if you’re playing Charlotte on a weeknight or during bad weather, you’re going to be playing to a half full room.” – B
In response to: 3 visions for the revival of Brooklyn Village Uptown
“Why does ‘an absolute bonkers’ amount of retail mean a successful and revitalized area? It also could mean that within 5 years of project completion, there are multiple boarded up shops because they didn’t thrive in an economy/market that wasn’t ready for that amount of retail. I just don’t understand why opinions have to be injected into these articles. Every single article on this site should have an opinion disclaimer. I think Jason got wow’ed by the pretty pictures from BK. But hey, I’m no expert.” – M
In response to: We should all feel half as passionate about something as Anne Springs Close does about conservation
“Unbelievably moving article this morning about Mrs. Close and her passion for preservation! Though I am familiar with the Greenway, the history behind it had escaped me until today. If only I could have been in the Rotary audience when this feisty lady decided to share herself, my follow-up questions would have armed me a swat or two from that little cane of hers! THANK YOU for a terrific article!” – A
“I do not know how to twitter but I love farms, Anne Springs Close and CLT and of course home spun folks like Jimmie Johnson. He and his family need to meet her as she is now 90 years old and full of wonderful stories, go strawberry picking, and HE can mountain bike while his wife and kids go on a walk with Mrs. Close. She is AMAZING!!” – D
In response to: A comprehensive list of the best French fries in Charlotte
“In regards to, ‘A comprehensive list of the best French fries in Charlotte’, Alexander Michael’s Cajun fries need representation. Do yourself a favor and go sit at the bar and order a Franziskaner Weissbier and a basket of Cajun fries. You’ll thank me later.” – A
“I’m surprised that Comida wasn’t somehow weaved (read: forced) into this round-up. ‘Best unconventional fry…that’s actually a taco.’ After last week’s over-justification of Comida, I can’t help but now question CA’s ‘top of the top’ foodie lists.” – D
In response to the Mailbag published on May 6
“So the mailbag had someone ranting about not being able to pick up a ride where s/he wants it after getting drunk at a USNWC event? I may be old and out of touch, but perhaps there is something else more important to be considered here. The entitlement and blame-it-on-the-man attitude of this millenial generation slays me…” – F
In response to: Why you can hardly find Charlotte beer at the Wells Fargo Championship
“The recent story about the lack of local beers at the Wells Fargo Championship failed to present a full and balanced story. There is no mention of the sponsorship dollars paid by Adams and/or AB. Without sponsors the tourney may not take place. And, sponsors expect to have their brands represented. How much were NoDa and Olde Meck willing to pay to be there? My guess, nothing. Some like to claim local, and expect some special treatment… but the only thing they buy local is the water and labor to make their beer (Adams probably employs quite a few more people)… Olde Meck has great brewing equipment… imported from Germany!” – T
“We heard from the disgruntled brewery owners, but it may have helped to reach out to tournament organizers to get BOTH sides of the story. (Novel concept, I know!) The article fails to explore the complexity that comes along with event sponsorships and contracts. In order to put on an event such as the Wells Fargo Championship (a non-profit, at that), they need MONEY in order to operate. How do they get that money? Through contracts and sponsorships such as the one with Adams / A-B. Now, I’m not saying the tournament would crumble if Adams didn’t renew their contract, but they provide a huge service that helps making this thing happen year after year. I’d like to see OMB and Legion on tap just as much as the next person, but let’s be realistic, here. Do local breweries have the dollars to pour into the Wells Fargo Championship? Probably not. I know the tournament organizers have been trying their hardest to get local on tap, but they are not going to risk losing their contract with Adams in order to do so. Let’s celebrate the victories that they have accomplished: the Uber lot setup (so you don’t have to go to Carowinds for a shuttle), the All American Pub area, Catawba, Wicked Weed, LoneRider, and of course, Sugar Creek.” – F
In response to: 13 things to see, do and eat in downtown Mooresville, 45 minutes north of Charlotte
“I think your article about Mooresville was great! Although I live in Concord, I am in Mooresville a lot, as I am a member of Mooresville Arts. It is the artist guild located at the Mooresville Depot. The old building on the corner of Main St and Center, diagonal from Epic. I wanted to suggest to you, possibly in addition to your article, Mooresville Arts. We have frequent shows by local artists (there are opening receptions for the shows that are free) and the gallery is open Tues through Fri 10am to 4p and Saturdays 12p to 4p. (I believe those are the current hours, but you can check out the website at www.mooresvillearts.com for more information). We offer classes for children and adults (there is a fee), an open studio day, monthly demonstrations/presentations (these are free and open to the public) and many other events that are free as well. Also, there is a gift shop for folks to buy those special one of a kind gifts that you can only get by that unique local artist!” – S
In response to: Where to get the best damn roti in Charlotte
“So there was an article today about roti but the writer didn’t let us know what makes her qualified to judge the ‘best damn roti’. The curry is just as important to the experience btw. Roti from a Jamaican place will never be the best. The writer does not mention the ethnicity of the owners. Only Guyanese and Trinidadian places need apply. And if the cook happens to be of Indian heritage…even better! The writer also doesn’t indicate the kind of roti…the pic doesn’t do it justice. Looks like dahlpuri. But I guess it could be busupshot (Trinidadian name for ‘paratha’). The writer, again, doesn’t clarify. Just thought you all should know. I take roti very seriously. And would have expected a more thorough discussion.” – D, non-millennial daughter of Caribbean immigrants, roti expert
In response to Katie’s newsletter intro on May 19
“I am a Social Studies teacher (specifically Civics and Economics) at Zebulon B. Vance High School. I get the Axios Charlotte delivered every morning and your opening this morning could not have been more perfect for us. My PLC (professional learning community for non-teachers) is teaching fraud and when I saw it, my coworker Danny and I collaborated to use your story to connect it with our students. I just wanted to share with you how we use Axios Charlotte in our classrooms! This story is perfect and it helps us tremendously! (Assignment)
In response to: The 14 brewery/bottle shop dads you’ll find in Charlotte, BREWPUBLIK sent us the beer suggestions below.
Hey Agenda Readers! We read this recent article by Jake Fehling and felt compelled to give these dads a schooling in beer drinking. Look, we get it. You’re out and about, free to run wild and do yo’ thing.
We put those 12 dad-types listed in Jake’s article under the microscope when we ran them through our Beergorithm to uncover what beers they would be particularly interested in. Ok, we can’t actually run people through the Beergorithm, but you get the point.
Here goes nothin’….
(1) The “one of 12, overly excited, on his once-a-quarter date night without his wife” dadpouring out of a stretch Navigator in front of the Uptown Duckworth’s at 5:45 p.m. on a Friday. He and his fellow dads are about TO HAVE THEIR FIRST CASK BEER EVER OMG!!!!!!!!!!!! He’s from Marvin, and yes, they’re going to The Book of Mormon.
BREWPUBLIK Beergorithm Recommendation: Lagunitas Waldo’s Special because it has the highest ABV on the menu and it’s time to get weird.
(2) The “no, seriously, guys let’s play corn hole, it’s fine” dad who made you spend your entire Panthers pre-game tailgate at Unknown Brewing waiting for next, giving his 4-year-old the necessary time to completely melt down and ruin the corn hole game. Over/under how many riots Little Johnny sets off with his mid-air bag deflecting? 10.5? 80? I’ll take the over. You’re hilarious, Little Johnny.
BREWPUBLIK Beergorithm Recommendation: Unknown Brewing Pre Game because how ironic is it to drink a beer called Pre Game while pregaming before the big game.
(3) The “shows up early for the 4 p.m. Hop Cakes release as if they’re Bieber tickets” dad who ends up sitting at the bar by himself with three 4-packs in front of him and checking his watch/phone like a lunatic. He has until 4:25 p.m. to buy his cans and slam a tulip (YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS ON TAP, IT’S SO FRESH, RIGHT?!) before he has to fight traffic back to daycare to get the kids. Before leaving, he cranks out 20 push-ups in the parking lot to work off the 10% of pancake goodness now searing through his veins.
BREWPUBLIK Beergorithm Recommendation: Wicked Weed Freak of Nature DIPA because forget the lines and have us bring you 4 of these instead.
(4) The “super relaxed, one kid at home with the sitter and a 5-day-old next to him splayed out in a car seat” dad. This dad is a genius. He learned with baby No. 1 that the first 2-3 weeks are actually a cake walk. He still enjoys movies, restaurants, mid-distance walks on the beach, and yes, breweries. This dad is confidently sipping a Fake Plastic Trees outside at Birdsong and the sun is dancing perfectly off both his glass and his wife’s breast pump. She’s no rookie this time around either.
BREWPUBLIK Beergorithm Recommendation: Birdsong Brewing Carolina Common because he wants to be responsible and still have 3 or 4 beers without dropping his baby.
(5) The “it’s cool, babe, I’ll hit Harris Teeter tonight” dad who insists on weekday evening grocery shopping sessions, even if it means driving an hour to the Ballantyne or Myers Park Teeters. These glorious beer havens disguised as grocery stores have completely changed the game. Sure, he’ll take the kids, but don’t ask questions when he returns with 12 growlers and the 340 bags of fruit snacks Junior and Suzie herded into his cart on their 100+ laps around the bar together.
BREWPUBLIK Beergorithm Recommendation: Triple C Brewing Baby Maker because he knows the name will really set the mood because weekday “grocery shopping” is hard and Father’s Day is coming up.
(6) The “yikes, something’s not agreeing with me, I need to go to bathroom again” dad at Viva Chicken in Torringdon. Note: by bathroom, he means the Growler USA next door. The bartenders there try to play along with the game, but a human being can only take so many 50-year-old men who come in reeking of Peruvian food and asking for a taster of each of the 30 IPAs they have on tap. I think I like IPAs, but I don’t love hops, ya know? Whatdya got??
BREWPUBLIK Beergorithm Recommendation: Sugar Creek Pale Ale because he wants his hops without the hops-on-hops beer. Can’t have that hops breath when slinking back into Viva Chicken right?
(7) The “drags his wife and three children wearing matching blue OrthoCarolina CSA Soccer jerseys into Good Bottle’s Good Morning breakfast on a Saturday morning” dad. One of the children is definitely missing their game that morning and dad is definitely getting divorced. Was it worth it? Dude, they were pouring Skillet Donut Stout and serving Your Mom’s Donuts, so, duh.
BREWPUBLIK Beergorithm Recommendation: Founders Breakfast Stout because it is going to be more readily available this year and you’ll no longer have to worry about getting a divorce!
(8) The “trust me, these are the best upper deck seats in BoA/Time Warner Cable” dad who has managed to trick his family into sitting the shortest walk possible from Hop Drop and other Charlotte craft beer in the city’s biggest stadiums. Look, dad, Papa John’s! Look, kids, green cans!
BREWPUBLIK Beergorithm Recommendation: We’re sticking with Hop Drop ‘N’ Roll because it’s the best beer in the stadium and you can’t mess with a dad’s beer game during sports escapades. Send the kids on their own for their Papa John’s while you sit back and cherish the Hop Drop.
(9) The “Huntersville is totally on the way” dad who insists on driving 45 minutes decidedly out of the way just so he can force his teenage children into enjoying Discovery Place Kids for the third time in a week. It’s a wonderful, hands-on museum! No, dad, we’re onto you – it’s right next to Crafty Beer Guys. Nice try.
BREWPUBLIK Beergorithm Recommendation: Ballast Point Sculpin IPA because if it’s on tap somewhere within a 45-minute drive, it’s 100% worth it your adventure about town.
(10) The “standing and sipping beer at the Southern Spirits pour station in Fort Mill while his kids beg for lollipops and play their Kindles on the floor of the adjoining liquor store lobby” dad. Yup, this is the worst dad. Good lord.
BREWPUBLIK Beergorithm Recommendation: Stone Arrogant Bastard because…Do we need to explain this? We think not.
(11) The “wife is out of town so let’s round up some buds to do one of these brewery crawls everyone’s talking about” dad. This dad has no idea what he’s doing, but he’s heard that the NoDa – wait, guys, is it NODE-uh or no-DAH? – and South End areas are apparently exploding. You can find him and his herd wandering around aimlessly before finally cramming into an UberX Civic and heading to Olde Meck.
BREWPUBLIK Beergorithm Recommendation: Olde Mecklenburg Capt Jack Pilsner because pilsners are making a comeback! (He said sarcastically.)
(12) The “my old college buddy from Portland is coming to town and he’s done his homework” dad. With the meteoric rise of craft beer, every dad living in or around a hot craft area has discovered that they have an old friend who is now WAY into beer and can’t wait to show him all the things he’s missing in his own backyard. He’s not at your lovely Baxter Village home for five minutes before dropping his bags and leading you on a 51-brewery tour over the next four hours. How have you not stood in line to try the Chocolate Covered Pretzel Stout yet, Doug?!? I don’t know, Todd… maybe because I live in South Carolina.
BREWPUBLIK Beergorithm Recommendation: Holy City Brewing Aussie Sauce IPA because he lives in South Carolina, not North Carolina. He also hates pretzels. No need for pretzels with this saucey IPA.
(13) The “overly confident and trying to seem low-maintenance at Sycamore and convinced his toddler-aged kids are perfectly fine playing table tennis on their own but really they’re smashing every other ball into the same group of annoyed 24-year-olds” dad. Look, we get it, you’re not a helicopter parent. Your shades look super trendy and that Countryside smells delicious, but come on, player – rein in those monsters.
BREWPUBLIK Beergorithm Recommendation: Sycamore Brewing Southern Girl because how cool is that art on the can? So cool man. So cool.
(14) The “I live in Ashley Heights and am leisurely sipping beer with my Common Market Sunday brunch while my model children color and read quietly” dad.
BREWPUBLIK Beergorithm Recommendation: New Sarum Blood Orange because it’s perfect for the outdoors and Sunday mornings. It also has orange in the name so orange juice right?
