02/02/18
Zeppelin is a restaurant in South End Charlotte (just a few light rail stops down from Uptown and Spectrum Center) that opened a few weeks ago and has a bunch of interesting cocktails and a very diverse menu. The most compelling thing about this place is that virtually everything on the menu, from the bitters used in cocktails to the pasta to the bao buns, is made from scratch. My wife and I got a couple drinks and a variety of plates to share including the charcuterie and cheese board, butternut squash hummus, pork buns, and heritage pork confit hushpuppies. All of these dishes were solid, especially the last two (definitely rotation/starter caliber), but my favorite dish of the night was the pappadew rellenos. This dish starts with the mild, sweet pappadew pepper. These are stuffed with a creamy, tangy herbed goat cheese and then tempura fried until they have that trademark light and fluffy, but also somewhat crispy, tempura shell. They are served with a smooth yuzu ranch, which adds a light, fresh citrus flavor, and melted leeks. These were little bombs of flavor and a really inventive dish. As a heads up, Zeppelin doesn't take reservations but is on the NoWait app, which lets you get in line even if you aren't at the restaurant. Zeppelin is definitely a bigtime spot and a nice addition to the Charlotte dining scene.