Huntersville, Charlotte Restaurants On 100 ‘Most Romantic’ List

HUNTERSVILLE, NC — A new list says eight North Carolina restaurants are among the nation’s 100 “most romantic” this year just in time for Valentine’s Day, including two in the Charlotte metro area. The folks at OpenTable, a free online reservation tool, released the 100 most romantic restaurants in a blog post last week. The list, which includes restaurants in 33 states, was compiled based on more than 12 million verified diner reviews of more than 28,000 restaurants.

Valentine’s Day is “the most popular day for dining out,” according to OpenTable, so you may consider making a reservation — if you still can. Here are the restaurants from North Carolina:

• Caprice Bistro — Wilmington. Says OpenTable: “Delight in Chef Thierry Moity's traditional French cuisine. Chef Moity, who has been cooking since age 13 in some of the finest French restaurants in Europe and New York City.”
• The Gamekeeper — Boone. Says OpenTable: “You haven't fully experienced the Blowing Rock, NC region until you've dined at The Gamekeeper. It's a true gourmet restaurant with an engaging blend of upscale elegance and mountain charm.”
• The Melting Pot — Huntersville. Says OpenTable: “The Melting Pot is Huntersville’s fine-dining destination, with mouthwatering offerings for people with all tastes. One bite is all takes to make a fondue believer out of you. Whether you’re arrived for drinks, cheese, and chocolate, or you want to experience the full 4-Course Experience, you’ll leave a fan of our gourmet fondue.
• The Melting Pot — Midtown Charlotte. Says OpenTable: “The Melting Pot Restaurant in Charlotte is where fun is cooked up fondue style. Our Charlotte restaurant is located in the Midtown neighborhood. Close to all Uptown hotels, Bank of America Stadium, Spectrum Center, Blumenthal Performing Arts center. The experience is great in a group and romantic for couples. The intimate location provides a casually elegant, intimate atmosphere.”
• Rey’s — Raleigh. Says OpenTable: “Rey's is an upscale, fine dining, steak house featuring spectacular food & exceptional service with a slight New Orleans / French Quarter flare. The comfortable ambience & affordable prices are sure to please.”
• Ryan’s Restaurant — Winston-Salem. Says OpenTable: “Enjoy the panoramic view of large oaks and a rolling stream from the many window-side tables, or the large, starlight deck. Or, savor the intimate atmosphere from a comfortable sofa, and in the winter, the warmth of a crackling fireplace.”
• Saint Jacques French Cuisine — Raleigh. Says OpenTable: “Saint Jacques French Cuisine is a traditional French restaurant located in North Raleigh. We serve authentic food with a respect for century old recipes, recreated for the taste of today.”
• Second Empire Restaurant and Tavern — Raleigh. Says OpenTable: “Located in downtown Raleigh’s historic Victorian Dodd-Hinsdale House (circa 1879), Second Empire combines history, atmosphere, exceptional service and gourmet cuisine for an unforgettable dining experience.”

The list included luxury spots like Majorelle in New York City and local hangouts such as St. Martin’s Wine Bistro in Dallas. Ohio had the most restaurants on the list with nine, followed by Texas with eight and North Carolina and Virginia with seven each. Prime rib, seafood and exotic desserts permeate the restaurants on the list. And if you do end up dining at one of these spots, bring your checkbook — many meals range from pricey to downright heart-stopping.

The reviews were collected from Dec. 1 2017 through Nov. 30, 2018, so you can be sure they’re recent. In order to be considered the restaurants had to meet a minimum “overall” score and a certain threshold of qualifying reviews. The overall score was calculated using data such as diner rating, user clout total reviews and regional rating. Qualifying restaurants were then scored and sorted based on share of reviews where “romantic” was chosen as a special feature.

Click here to see the full list.

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Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.

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