In 2015, I sat outside an alley in Davidson, NC talking with Katy Kindred about the restaurant she had just opened with her husband, Joe Kindred. I’d moved south just a few months before, and this was one of my first interviews in my new city. I recall being charmed by the real family soul powering the business. The restaurant shares their last name. Moreover, a husband and wife team brings equal measures of expertise. Plus, the restaurant is walking distance away from where they live with their young children. A lot has happened since. Today, Joe is a five-time James Beard Foundation Award Best Chef Southeast semifinalist. Additionally, he and Katy have brought to life three other concepts, Hello Sailor, milkbread, and now, Albertine in Charlotte NC.
Joe and Katy Kindred Usher in a New Era of Uptown Dining
On a rainy, dark evening in September, we showed up to our reservations at Albertine on Tryon Street Uptown. I’d be remiss not to mention that “downtown” is the Kindreds’ preferred vernacular.
There’s a lot that’s already been said about Uptown Charlotte’s dining rooms. And yet it was clear as soon as we crossed the threshold that this was something distinct. What looked on the outside to be standard fare for an Uptown building quickly transformed into a front room that, in addition to the host stand, is home to the bar and several sets of banquette seating. It’s bright, warm and elevated inside, with large swaths of black and white marble, wood, and earth tones. The floor-to-ceiling windows offer lots of light, and views of the city.
Interestingly, when deciding to open Albertine, the opportunity for the space came first and the concept came second.
“We wanted to help be a key member of defining the downtown restaurant scene,” Joe explains. “Charlotte is growing at such a fast pace I think I’d be foolish to not want to tap into the Center of the Queen City. When we open a restaurant, we like to consider the space, neighborhood, the greater ‘need’ in the market, and our own curiosity, of course. That said, we were excited to take on this palette of flavors and techniques. We are always students. So, this keeps us curious about a whole new part of the world that is so abundantly rich with culture. Travel and genuine curiosity largely inspired [the menu].”
Heading into the main dining room through a doorway is where I truly felt the transportation begin. I lost the sense that I was in Charlotte in the best way. It was like when you step into a well executed speakeasy or a darkened theater.
Niceties and Nibbles
In the main dining area, Katy chose rich greens and dark grays alongside a lot more marble. Plus there are velvety fabrics, pops of artwork large and small, and a mix of delightful tableside lamps and larger, more dramatic fixtures. She tapped local millwork and furniture makers Tenon & Tailored and Holder Restaurant Furniture to help bring the vision to life. Katy’s vision says is so intentionally luxurious and alluring as a nod to the namesake: Queen Charlotte’s mother, Duchess Elizabeth Albertine.
Once we’d settled into our seats, it was time for food and beverage to take center stage. If you’ve been to Kindred, you won’t be surprised to learn that their second fine dining concept is built around service. That’s where Katy’s background continues to shine.
“I really enjoy training the team and rolling up my sleeves when we open, it’s too much fun,” she says. “Beyond that, my fulltime job when I am not in design mode is supporting our amazing leaders so they can keep the service standards where they need to be.”
Tickle the Taste Buds at Albertine in Charlotte NC
Joe Crivolio and Danny Ike tag team the beverage program, Joe with cocktails and Danny with wine. The beverage program focuses on classic flavors and modern updates. Cocktails are clean and minimally garnished while the wine program features red wines that work well with food cooked on fire and whites that celebrate the brine of the sea.
Under the direction of chef Joe Kindred and team, Albertine in Charlotte NC serves contemporary cuisine inspired by the greater Mediterranean basin and by Joe’s particular POV on the American South. The menu will evolve across seasons, and, much like Kindred, it seems like Joe is always playing with flavor profiles or getting inspired by surprising flavors.
We started with the meze platter, an opportunity to order six small dishes alongside man’oushe sourdough flatbread and crudite. We also enjoyed raw NC oysters, crispy pickle-brined quail, crispy charred malawach with caviar, and the hanger steak and frites. The wine pairings were meticulous, and the service was excellent.
The Kindreds upped the ante on fine dining in the Charlotte area for the first time nearly a decade ago, earning accolades nationwide. This is just the beginning for Albertine, and I for one am eager to see how their fingerprint might shape the Uptown scene moving forward. Competition breeds excellence, and the Kindreds have once again set one hell of a bar.
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