Sea Level NC - 129 E. 5th Street
Phone: 704-385-5778
Website: https://www.sealevelnc.com
On to Stop #2
The new year was a fresh start for me in a number of ways. I started a new job as an instructional designer. I got back into doing yoga. And I decided to get back to my foodie roots and check out some new restaurants again. When my friend shared that Charlotte Magazine had posted a “50 Best Restaurants in Charlotte: 2022” article, this was definitely the right time to get back to trying new dishes and sharing my finds on the FoodieOnLocation site. So, here we are with stop #2: Sea Level NC.
From what I can see, this is one of the few restaurants that validates parking in Uptown Charlotte…but I was unaware of this when I dined here. There is super easy parking at the Hearst Tower Parking lot on 5th Street. From here, you can take the elevator down to the first floor, walk past the key pass area for people who work in the tower, and walk into the restaurant. (Definitely much appreciated on a chilly Charlotte evening in January.)
This quaint restaurant has ample seating in the dining room, with spots to sit at the fully-stocked bar or at the shucking station. There are plenty of options for the seafood lover, especially if you love oysters. Their oyster menu changes daily, with a chalkboard on the far end of the restaurant detailing the evening’s fare. Though I am not a raw oyster lover, they did have a scrumptious fried oyster appetizer that our table scarfed down!
Let the good times begin!
There’s a reason Charlotte Magazine has voted Sea Level NC the “Best Seafood Restaurant in Charlotte” for the past four years. This was by far one of the best meals I’ve had in a long time. Hard to imagine that you can get seafood this fresh and delicious hours from the coast, but you can get it all right here.
The Appetizers
We started off the dinner with a variety of tasty appetizers. We had the calabash shrimp. The menu description detailed this dish as “salsa criollo, chicharron “pork” salt, Peruvian ahi and pepper sauce.” It was melt in your mouth delicious!
Since many of us were not big fans of raw oysters, we opted for the grilled option instead. These were served over charred rock salt, with a lemon garlic butter, herbed Parmesan and crispy panko breading. Tasty!
We topped off our appetizer selections with a cream smoked salmon dip. The pickled onions on top of the dip really brought out the flavor of the smoked salmon. This hit the spot and got our bellies warmed up for the main course.
The Main Course
With so many amazing-sounding options on the menu, it was hard to pick just one main dish. Our table took a sampling of just about everything we could. If you are on a gluten-free diet, a seafood restaurant such as Sea Level NC has so many options available. I opted for the ancient grains and salmon bowl. This dish packed a bunch of flavor into hearty bowl of quinoa and kale with warm salmon on top.
Get a load of the menu description: farro piccolo, freekeh, quinoa, kale, onion, cucumber, sweety drop pepper, preserved lemon & cumin vinaigrette. I cannot even get into how good this was…and even better the next day with leftovers for lunch!
For the rest of the table, we had a mix of dishes. The mushroom friend rice (see above) was popular, as was the red snapper chef’s special (see below). Sea Level NC knows how to make some good food!
The Desserts
A night out at a new restaurant deserves a sampling of their sweet side. They had a Cast Iron Apple Buckle, Berries and Cream (with house granola and fresh whipped cream), Pecan Cobbler, and a Chocolate Pot de Crème. For less than $8, who could pass up these options?
As you can see, I chose their Chocolate Pot de Crème. So smooth, with just the right amount of sweet, chocolatey goodness. You can’t go wrong with any of their other desserts. Not too big and not too small, so leave a little room to sample what they’ve got.
For the Non-Seafood Eater
If you’re not into seafood, there are options at Sea Level to leave you feeling satisfied. Try their Whole Poussin Chicken, with an ancho-coffee rub and cider-braised carrots. Or maybe the Bacon & Bleu Burger is more to your liking, complete with brown sugar bacon and roasted tomato aioli. There’s even a Root Vegetable Hash or House Cracklins set of options to please your tastebuds. Plenty for everyone. Just come on out to Sea Level NC. You won’t be disappointed.