There’s a new addition to our best places to eat in South End Charlotte list. And, that’s PARA! The Queen City welcomes this powerhouse of restaurant industry professionals: Chet Desai, Jigs Desai, Dave Feimster, and Ricky Patel. They joined forces under the umbrella of Parliament Hospitality Group LLC. In January, this team of restaurant industry veterans launched their first venture, called PARA. And it is already making a splash as one of the best new places to eat in South End.
“‘PARA” is short for “imparable” which means unstoppable; ‘PARA’ also means ‘for,’ as in ‘for Charlotte.’ We hope you feel both energies when you dine or imbibe with us,” says Desai.
🎵 Take A Tour Of PARA 🎵
Chef Verica is determined to make PARA one of the best places to eat in Charlotte and beyond.
Executive Chef Alex Verica heads the kitchen. Verica is homegrown talent. He spent his youth in Charlotte, graduating from Ardrey Kell before entering the restaurant business as a dishwasher. Verica has since cooked alongside Chef David Quintana at Dot Dot Dot and, of course, his well-known father, Paul Verica, at Heritage and The Stanley.
Global Cuisine With Southern Twists From Para In South End
The menu Verica has helped put together blends global cuisine with Southern twists and local ingredients. A few of our favorites highlights include: deviled eggs with miso, shrimp, trout roe, and scallion. We love the lobster toast with milk bread, chive aioli, caviar, and radish. The tuna crudo with jalapeño, lime, avocado, citrus, hot pepper, and radish is amazing. Their culinary team is also working on late-night and dessert menus to satisfy the sweet tooths and night owls. Dishes are served family-style. This creates an opportunity for diners to experience more tastes and to enjoy more communal culinary experiences with their dinner company.
Behind The Bar At Para In South End
Yashira “Yoshi” Mejia brings her hard-earned barkeeping chops to PARA as bar manager and head designer of the cocktail menu. Signature mixed drinks include “Berry Nice” with Grey Goose Strawberry & Lemongrass Essence, lemon, lemongrass, Topo Chico, and Strawberry St. Germain Foam. Another favorite, The Mez Me With That is made with Illegal Mezcal, orange, lime, cilantro oil, and Togarashi. Expect a varied menu featuring drinks that are as aesthetically pleasing as they are tasty.
Mejia works her magic from a full bar that seats 12. Handsome leather seating and subdued lighting round out a cozy yet modern aesthetic that can accommodate up to 55 people. Outside, swanky seating offers easy access to viewing local artist Daniel Moates’ PARA-inspired mural.
The dining areas are overseen by general manager Stephen Johnson. He has previously held roles at Red Salt, Heritage, and The Stanley. During his time in the industry, Johnson has developed a passion for wine that he nurtured with an Intro Sommelier certification. He now lends his managerial experience to the PARA front-of-house operations and wine knowledge to the PARA wine list.
This A-list team is at the helm of this enterprise Tuesdays through Thursdays from 5 to 11 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.
• To See The Menu Visit paraclt.com.
• Make A Reservation
• Read for more of our favorite places to eat in South End Charlotte.
More Photos Of Dishes And Drinks at PARA
