3 Days in Charlotte

So for those of you who thought that this travel blog was being hijacked by my forays into the culinary domain, this post is to allay your fears. It isn't a sexy post, nor for that matter a sexy trip - I had to go to Charlotte, NC on business. The reality of the situation is that, given my budget constraints, it is far easier to cook than travel. Thus, until I win the lottery, marry a wealthy lass, or get a few more promotions; this blog will probably have more cooking than travel. As the French say: c'est la vie!


Anyways, back to the topic at hand: Charlotte, North Carolina. Why did I have to head to Charlotte? The answer is two fold: 

1. To learn a new financial news and reporting system called SNL (Acronym for Savings & Loan, because its first use was to report regulatory data for banks back in the late 80s)
2. Work with Balance Sheet Management to tailor their data output for incorporation into our Liquidity Risk Metric analysis

So on Sunday, February 20, I got up at 6:30 to finish packing. A quick drive to Metro, the usual TSA fondling, stop at Star bucks for a dirty chai, and next thing one knows, I am boarding the plane. Thankfully, I had been upgraded to first class - something Delta seems to be doing quite a bit frequently for me, knock on wood - due to my paltry silver medallion. A quick taxi out to the runway, roar of the jets, and soon I was at 30,000 feet being supported only by Bernoulli's principle. Thank God for simple Newtonian physics!


Little did I know that Detroit soon was going to get pounded by a blizzard. The timing was impeccable; I truly think the Lord was smiling down on me as I headed to 70 degree and sunny weather. Of course I would have to head back to it, as my trip was only 3 days long, but still: the reprieve from the cold would be worth it!

With the cuts into the structure, this hotel looks jagged!

Heavenly shower!

I arrived in Charlotte around 12:00, made my way through the airport, and jumped in a cab. Destination: Westin Charlotte. A very swank and sophisticated hotel in the modern sense, with a smart interior and an incredibly jagged looking exterior. I checked in, and went up to the room to drop off my stuff. The room was your typical "downtown" Westin variety: Heavenly bed, nice plasma TV, dual-head shower, and a nice desk for working. As soon as I reached my room, Wayne, my old boss called. I had planned to meet him for lunch that day, and he phoned to tell me he would be a bit late. Not a problem: I would just use the extra time to wander the streets of downtown Charlotte.

Nothing like a Heavenly King all to myself!

Walking around downtown Charlotte on a Sunday, the first thing that struck me was the lack of retail in the downtown area. I realize that not many cities can support Michigan Avenue or 5th Avenue-esque retail districts. That being said, we are talking an extremely minimal amount of retail here in Charlotte: a handful of boutiques at the most. Even D.C. had an Urban Outfitters, Apple Store, and a few other stores. It felt like Charlotte had nothing.

Duke Energy Building, from the hotel entrance

Thankfully, to make up for this, Charlotte has decided to focus heavily on bars and steakhouses. Ruth's Chris, Flemings, McCormick and Schmick's were all interspersed among the big office towers. And there are tons of bars, including the chain I loathe the most: Blackfinn. I can imagine that this place gets absolutely rowdy during St. Patty's Day!

Ally Center, where I would be the next two days

During my stroll, I found the Ally office building, Bank of America tower, and the old Wachovia tower (now Wells Fargo Tower I believe). By then, it was time to head back to the hotel to meet up with Wayne. The destination for lunch: Mac's Speed Shop for some good old North Carolina BBQ. 

Mac's Speed Shop: Beer, Bikes & BBQ

Barbeque is seriously one of my favorite foods. It ranks right up there with sushi as food that I would want to be left on a deserted isle with. Be it brisket, pulled pork, ribs, sausage or chicken; it's all so damn good. I also love the various regional sauces that make it so diverse. This is why, being down in North Carolina, I had to have BBQ. They are renowned for their vinegar-based sauce, which is much different from Kansas City or Texas varieties.


This join also offers quite the selection of microbrew and craft beer - a selection that I think any beer snob would agree is impressive. I ordered a Lagunitas IPA, and found a table outside to enjoy the nice weather. Looking at the menu, I couldn't decide if I wanted the brisket or the pulled pork. So I ordered the massive combo platter, which included: 4 types of meat and 4 huge sides. I selected the brisket, pulled pork, ribs, and chicken; with: mac 'n' cheese, baked beans, chili and green bean casserole. I ate the brisket and pulled pork, picked at some of the sides, and couldn't even touch the other stuff. I was STUFFED. What an excellent lunch!


After lunch, which included watching Purdue beat Ohio State, Wayne brought me back to my hotel. After a meal like that, all I wanted to do was lay down. I rested a bit before a colleague of mine, Subba, called. He had invited me over to his newly purchased chateau (JK


It took a few hours before I would even consider the thought of food after that last lunch. So around 19:30, Subba and I went into the kitchen. The evening's goal: for me to learn how to cook authentic Indian. First, his Mom showed how make vegetable biryani. Once the rice and vegetables were in the rice cooker, the showed me how to make a spinach roti. Once the cooking was done, we ate a delish authentic vegetarian Indian meal, topped with a little Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream for desert. And again, I was stuffed!


After dinner, we relaxed a bit in the living room before Subba brought me back to the hotel. I think I ended up watching a crummy movie before bed. What else is there to do in a hotel besides drink or watch bad TV?


The rest of my trip was really spent working, so I won't go into it. The one exception was that I was able to meet up with my friend Kari for drinks and a bite to eat after work on Monday. We met at Rí Rá Irish Pub, ordered a beer, and just spent the time catching up. I had the fish and chips, and was surprised with how well they were prepared. I hadn't had that quality of fish and chips since I was living in London!


Finally, on Tuesday I headed back to Detroit. The flight was not even close to being full, so I got the upgrade again. And next thing you know, I am freezing my arse off getting my car because I did not pack a warm jacket. I cannot wait for spring!


All in all, a good trip. Now time to head to the gym!