How has Johnson & Wales impacted the food scene in town?
I think it has raised awareness; people are more open to the idea of what a chef can do or be. Those chef’s choices classes that Johnson & Wales offers to the public have really given people the chance to get a feel for what goes on in a restaurant kitchen and appreciate what it takes. The school has boosted a level of interest in service, raising the expectation for good service and good food…it has raised the profile of the restaurant industry.
 What does Charlotte have that, say, a New York or Chicago doesn't? What are we missing?
We have more of a sense of community; we are less anonymous. You can get to know the people around you. We also have that Southern history that is fascinating to the rest of the country, that Southern flavor. As far as what we don’t have, it’s getting less and less. It used to be you that when you flew home from New York you could smell the luggage. People packed bagels, lox, pickled goods because you couldn’t find them here. I serve on two committees for the James Beard Foundation, so I go to New York at least six times a year, and I don’t smell that anymore. I myself bring back less and less. I used to talk about a lag time in food trends reaching Charlotte. For example, something would show up in San Francisco and it would be six months before you could buy it in Charlotte, but now this lag time doesn’t exist. You can’t always find things in the same quantity, but it is usually at least available in Charlotte because we’ve had so many people move from other areas and each person brings a demand and interest for different types of food.
We've all witnessed and influx of new food joints opening. How is this good for the city overall?
The more choice you have the more people are going to get excited about going out and trying new places. The downside is that people get focused on new places and forget to support their favorite restaurants. You have to support those places that are a part of the flavor of your city. I love to see new places and see chefs put their creativity and heart into a place, but I also see great restaurants folding and that makes me sad. I’ll hear people comment, “That place was great, how could it have closed?” But when you ask them the last time they ate there they’ll say, “Oh, it’s been at least a year or two.” It’s great for Charlotte to have new influences and choices and we just have to make sure to support them as well as the old favorites.
What advice do you have for Charlotte's restaurant-goers?
Keep an open mind, be ready to embrace a place and let a place get on its feet. Often Charlotteans are so quick to pick apart every little thing when they first go to a restaurant. Instead, give it a chance to grow and be willing to support the places you believe in. Don’t complain there aren’t any restaurants if you aren’t going out and experiencing them. When you visit other cities, say, Minneapolis, where I was recently, part of the charm is neighborhood restaurants with a history of the place. I see our neighborhoods such as Elizabeth, Plaza-Midwood, Dilworth having this potential. Think about Charlotte’s history and appreciate restaurants in that context. We have a rich history of soul food, Greek food; embrace local restaurants that honor these traditions.
~ Celina Mincey
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