City: Charlotte, NC

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (704) 556-7730

Description: One of the hottest restaurants in town, Upstream is operated by the same folks who own Mimosa Grill and Harper’s. Executive chef and part-owner Tom Condron trained at Johnson & Wales University in Charleston and has worked in New York, Washington, San Francisco, Paris, and London. Long before Charlotte diners were as adventurous as they are now, Condron pushed the culinary envelope with shrimp and grits dishes and hollowed-out hush puppies stuffed with shrimp, crawfish, and Creole seasoning. Mimosa and Harper’s are upscale casual, but Upstream takes Charlotte dining up a notch with the freshest ingredients combined in unique ways. Condron is known to drive three hours to Charleston to handpick fresh seafood for the restaurant, so it’s no surprise that awards are piling up for this eatery often said to be one of the nicest in Charlotte. Menu highlights include wood oven–roasted scallops, sake-marinated Chilean sea bass, and crispy fried calamari in a sweet-and-sour glaze. The Phillips Place atmosphere, with chic boutiques, a wine bar, and upscale retailers, doesn’t hurt either. Open for lunch and dinner daily and Sun brunch.