Good Food on Montford

Aug 19

I wasn’t sure what to expect from Good Food on Montford. People have been telling me it’s one of the best restaurants in Charlotte. When previewing the menu, though, nothing got me excited.

A perfect date night low-key atmosphere

The building is an old, mid-century structure. The inside has been renovated while still holding true to its midcentury roots. It’s relatively casual but transitional. The vibe would work well for a date night.

A humdrum-looking menu

Typically, when I look at a restaurant’s menu, something jumps off the page — something that I can’t wait to try. When looking at Good Food on Montford’s menu, there wasn’t anything that I absolutely had to have. Nothing looked terrible, but nothing tickled my fancy, either. But that didn’t stop me — based upon overwhelmingly positive reviews; I had to give it a try.

An abundance of tapas

In typical fashion, I went all-in. All of the plates are tapas-style, so we ordered a bunch:

Local Greens. Oven-dried strawberries, pickled rhubarb, Ricotta Salata. It wasn’t anything revolutionary, but it was a good salad with a bright, acidic dressing.

Steamed Bun. Five-spice rubbed pork belly, hoisin, pickled vegetables. The texture seemed a bit off to me. The bun itself was slightly dry, but the flavor was off the charts. SO good.

PEI Mussels. Cooked in green curry, coconut milk, and cilantro. My favorite dish of the night. It was a very mild and well-rounded curry, served with two pieces of pita for dipping in the curry after you finish eating the mussels. I’m not going to lie… I legitimately drank some of the broth — like soup — after eating all of the mussels and bread. It was DIVINE! Honestly, one of the best iterations of this dish I’ve ever had.

Pan-Seared Scallops. Smoked corn, tomato, shell beans, and basil pesto. Light, simple, perfectly seared perfection. I absolutely recommend ordering these.

Jerk Chicken. Sweet potato purée, braised collard greens, and grilled pineapple. Honestly, this was a HUGE pleasant surprise for me. We decided to order it, thinking it looked OK, and we needed to get a larger plate to round out the tapas. Honestly, it was PHENOMENAL — perfectly cooked chicken with excellent pairings in flavors. The textures worked in unison, and that sweet potato puree!? It was mouthwatering. I wish I could just order it as a side. It wasn’t just me… the whole table felt this way.

Deconstructed Lemon Tart. Lemon curd, toasted meringue, and graham cracker. It was a light combo of sweet and tart — perfect if you filled up on other dishes.

Ricotta Cheesecake. This savory peach cheesecake was beautifully plated. It was delicious and creamy, but not too light…it had a nice texture that paired perfectly with the peach.

Don’t forget the booze

As for the drinks, we ordered three:

Ms. Collins. Ketel one, hibiscus, grapefruit, fresh lemon and lime, and soda. It was light and refreshing — not overly sweet, as many hibiscus drinks are.

Montford Mojito. White rum, peach, simple syrup, local fresh mint, and soda water. I wasn’t a big fan of this. There wasn’t enough peach flavor to it, and the mint tasted too earthy — it permeated the entire drink.

Shipwrecked. Kraken rum, five-spice mandarin syrup, fresh lime, and ginger beer. This drink was super interesting. It tastes EXACTLY like you think it will. I was a bit skeptical; when I ordered it, I wasn’t sure if all of the flavors would work together. But they really do. It’s very unique.

I give this one a 8/10. There are some things the restaurant can work on, such as getting a bit more creative with their dishes. Before eating here, I was concerned that some of the dishes might be too spicy or lack balance; however, the chef is an expert at ensuring each dish is perfectly rounded. Next time, I won’t be afraid to order anything on the menu. And I’ll definitely go back.

Update (February 2022)

I’ve been 5 or 6 times now, and Good Food on Montford has become one of my favorite restaurants in Charlotte. It is consistently an 8 to 9/10 for me:

1) The staff is incredibly friendly; it’s almost infectious. Everyone is always so happy, that you can’t help but smile. Even more important though - the service is highly attentive.
2) The menu is seasonal, and changes frequently. The menu always looks overly simple to me, but do not let that fool you. Every dish and every cocktail is incredibly well balanced. The flavors are complex and beautifully layered, while the textures work in harmony. This is one of the few places where I could close my eyes and point to any dish, and I would be satisfied with my choice.

On my most recent visit, this is what we got:

Amy’s Pretzel Twists: Served with House-Made Beer Cheese. To start, these were visually very pretty. They tasted great too. Light and fluffy, with the perfect amount of salt and slightly crispy underside. The cheese was very much like a sauce, rather than thick cheese, which made it perfect for coating the pretzels.

Pommes Frites: Truffle Oil, Parmesan, and Herbs. OK so these are definitely in my top favorite truffle fries - definitely my favorite in Charlotte. They are bigger than a McDonald’s fry, but not quite a steak fry. They are perfectly crisped on the outside - a light golden brown with just the right crunch. The inside was big enough where you could still taste the potato and not just the fried goodness. Cover those in parmesan, truffle oil, and an aioli on the side and you’ve got the perfect bite.

Brussels Sprouts: Served with Red Pepper Ricotta, Mint, and Red Onion. These were tender, without being overcooked. There was a beautiful crispness mixed throughout, from the leaves and onion, which created a gorgeous contrast to the creaminess of the ricotta. There was a brightness to the dish as well, but I can’t quite put my finger on where it was coming from.

Garganelli: Served with Fennel Sausage, Tomato, and Parmesan. This was excellent! I don’t initially think of pasta when I think of this restaurant, but I really should. The noodles are perfectly cooked. The sauce is loaded with flavor, yet very well balanced. I wish I hadn’t filled up as much on the fries, but those were also excellent so I regret nothing.

Tagliolini: Cacio e Pepe. This was the creamiest cacio e pepe I’ve ever had. I think they followed a traditional method of only using pepper, cheese, and pasta water. Or perhaps they added an egg yolk because of how rich and creamy it was. Regardless of how it was made, the flavor was spot on and the texture will have me dreaming of this dish for days.

Mussels: green curry cream, coconut milk, cilantro. I’ve been ordering this dish since the first time I went to Good Food on Montford, and they never disappoint. It’s one of the few dishes that is always on the menu, and I hope it never comes off of it. Without a doubt, these are my favorite mussels in Charlotte.

Larry’s Buns: Spice rubbed pork belly, hoisin, carrot & daikon. While the buns have been on the menu since my first visit, the dish has been modified. The first time I had it, the dish was served as one big bun. Now it’s served as two smaller buns - and I’m so happy about it. The flavor is an excellent rendition of the classic 5 spice pork, but I love that it is now served as two smaller buns, making it way easier to share.

DO NOT FORGET ABOUT THE COCKTAILS! But seriously. The drinks at Good Food on Montford are incredible. The drinks are so unique, and even though I sometimes question the ingredients, they somehow always work so well together. You’d think by now that I wouldn’t be surprised by this, but I am every time.

Lola: ketel one, domaine de canton ginger liqueur, limoncello, carrot, vanilla. Shockingly amazing. It’s sweet and creamy, without being sickly sweet. It’s like a mellow version of a 50/50 bar (also known as an Orange Dream, or Creamsicle). I definitely recommend.

Last Text: bombay gin, chartreuse, lychee, citrus, egg white. This was very refreshing. It was crisp, light, and full of citrus, while the classic sharpness of gin was completely removed by the egg white. I’d happily order this again too.