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Scoop: Dilworth Tasting Room is expanding to Plaza Midwood

 

The original Dilworth Tasting Room patio, known for its koi pond and garden will be a far cry from DTR Plaza Midwood, which will have more of an Art Deco theme. Photo: Laura Barrero/Axios

Dilworth Tasting Room will open its third Charlotte location in Plaza Midwood next year with a huge outdoor patio, global cuisine, craft cocktails and a rotating wine list.

Why it matters: For a few years, residents, visitors and business owners alike have feared that Plaza Midwood is at risk of losing its identity. DTR owners Jaffer Kovic and his wife Zorana (Zoe) Kovic say they want to honor the neighborhood and keep it “groovy.”

  • “Having local operators is key to the vitality of a neighborhood that is established with a pretty important identity,” Jaffer says.

The big picture: Plaza Midwood, like the rest of Charlotte, is evolving rapidly. New developments are changing its landscape, beloved local restaurants have moved out, national chains have moved in, and the neighborhood recently became Charlotte’s first social district.

  • DTR Plaza Midwood will be in the heart of the neighborhood next to Midwood Smokehouse at 1413 Central Ave. It will be right across from a new 12-acre development known as Commonwealth, which will have a mix of retailers, restaurants, luxury apartments and a boutique hotel, among other features.

“It will be a very far cry from the behemoth of a corporate setting they’re building across the street,” Jaffer said of the new DTR.

DTR Plaza Midwood will be distinguishable from the original Dilworth and SouthPark locations. Most notably, its outdoor patio will be reminiscent of South Beach in Miami, with lounge chairs, palm trees and Art Deco decor.

Details: The building is about 3,600 square feet, not including the 1,300 square-foot outdoor patio.

  • The patio will be dog-friendly and all-season, with heaters for the winter and shade against the sun and rain.
  • There’ll be a bar both inside and outside, serving a seasonal wine selection and a craft cocktail menu designed by DTR’s bar manager, Alejandro Ibañez.
  • Inside, the restaurant will have a sizeable kitchen, serving shareable plates from around the world, including “peka,” a traditional Croatian dish cooked slowly inside a traditional oven. “Peka is such a unique style of cooking … I have not seen in Charlotte anywhere,” says Zoe, who is originally from Croatia.

What’s next: DTR Plaza Midwood will open in the third quarter of 2024.