Midwood News

Valentine's Day is one of the year's top restaurant events in Charlotte with everyone eating out with their sweetie, and nearly every restaurant planning a special menu.

As Charlotte prepares for its star turn on the world stage in September, 2012, when the Democratic Convention comes to town, area chefs are sharpening up their games, preparing to display the city's dining scene as cutting-edge and world-class. Several hot national dining trends already are establishing beachheads on the Charlotte restaurant scene.

Numerous pubs and taphouses dedicated to the love of hops are cropping up around town, among them Duckworth's with several locations, Revolution Pizza & Ale House in NoDa, Dandelion Market uptown , Pizza Peel and Tap Room in Cotswold, and South End's Liberty Gastropub , which seems to keep on top of the trends.