At a time when many towns are working hard just to retain their local businesses, Lake Norman just keeps adding more great options for our lucky area residents!  The growth since my family arrived in 2005 is truly amazing.  When I drive  relocating buyers around the Lake Norman communities I point out many of these recent additions which have added so much variety and convenience to our lifestyles. While growth definitely slowed starting in 2008 we have continued to get some exciting new restaurants and retail stores; and this trend is increasing as our Lake Norman area economy recovers.

Here are some of our latest additions:

Restaurants/Food and Beverages:

• Mooresville Ice Cream Company’s old fashioned ice cream parlor  is celebrating its grand opening at the corner of Broad and Moore Ave this Friday, May 18th. This comes on the heels of the launch of their new Front Porch Carolina Churned Ice Cream Brand featuring “Southern-inspired flavors”  including “Sassy Strawberry, Chocolate Rocker, Blackberry Crumble and Home-style Butter Pecan.” YUM!
• Michael Bay, developer/owner of Mooresville’s old Burlington Mill is planning to open “an authentic, Old World Pizzeria“ on September 25th following the traditions of Naples Italy.  The 120-seat pizzeria will be located on Main St. in the former power house building at the old Mill.  4 brick ovens, all organic…can’t wait!
• The Prickly Pear just opened in their new location next to Vinnie’s on Williamson Rd in Mooresville.  Same great food but now awesome lake view dining as well!
• La Patisserie on Brawley School Rd continues to be a hot spot since opening about a year ago.  GREAT bakery, lunches and Sunday brunch.
• My husband and I have become quite fond of Blu Star Grill which opened recently in the Harris Teeter Shopping Center at the corner of Brawley School and Williamson Rd.  Their main feature is the build your own burger which can start with Black Angus Beef, Bison, Ground Turkey, Chicken Breast or the Black-bean Burger. “Fresh, natural food is what this whole concept is about,” Bass said in a recent Mooresville Weekly article. “We all see a lot about farm-to-fork and using fresh, locally grown/made products in higher-end restaurants, so why not apply that to a fast-casual setting?”
• The Davidson Beverage Co. just opened last week at 442 S. Main Street in Davidson.  This specialty wine and craft beer store not only sells craft beers and wine but has a tasting bar, wide-screen TV, wi-fi as well.  I think this will definitely become a popular hangout very soon!
• Paddy’s Poor House just opened recently in the Shops on The Green in Cornelius.  They offer “upscale pub grub” with a goal of creating a friendly, “Cheers vibe” to attract locals and neighbors.  Owner Tim Flynn, a disabled veteran, was attracted to Lake Norman from New York by our warm weather and nice people.  There is a lot of this going around!
• Now here is a really cool idea: a restaurant/hangout for dogs and dog lovers!  Opening this summer in Cornelius on Hwy 21, Lucky Dog will not only offer many dog services including day care, a doggy park and grooming, but will have The Lucky Dog Bar, serving coffee, espresso, beer, wine and cocktails for the humans that frequent the great dog facility.
• Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar opened recently in one of my favorite destinations: Birkdale Village in Huntersville. Bad Daddy’s offers something for everyone, including vegetarians, with great burgers, giant chopped salads, homemade chips.  You can even build your own burger. They offer breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays from 8-11am.
• Coming soon to Birkdale Village is Bonefish Grill.  More to follow as I find out more. 5/18/12 Update:  Bonefish Grill is now open! This is a restaurant chain and as its name suggests has a wide variety of wood-grilled and baked fishes as well as grilled meats, salads and soups.  The only review I have found was positive so check it out and let us know what you think!

Last week I had a potential Lake Norman homebuyer ask me if we had a Sam’s Club in the area.  Well, guess what?  it was just announced that Sam’s Club plans to locate a new store on Ervin Rd just off Hwy 150 and Morrison Plantation in Mooresville.  Now, if we could get a Whole Foods…anyone listening?

Finally, something I think could only happen in our car crazy area.  The Auto Country Club  is coming.  Yes, a country club for car lovers!  The Auto Country Club will consist of  ten 20,000 sq ft buildings on 27 acres on Hwy 73 in Huntersville.  The club will consist of individual car condominiums that can be customized to the owners specifications.  Each condo can be outfitted with a loft to create your ultimate “Man Cave”?  And, their clubhouse will include a kitchen, lounge, conference room, show room for car events, outside fireplace and grilling area, dining both inside and out.

Have anything to add?  Feel free to email me or leave a comment!

When I saw the La Patisserie Bakery Coming Soon sign in the window of one of the store fronts in the old Lowe’s Market/Rite Aid shopping center at the corner of Brawley School and Williamson Roads I was thrilled!  No more having to go all the way to Historic Downtown Mooresville  for their simply awesome pastries, breakfasts and lunches.

I went to our new La Patisserie Bakery Cafe yesterday for the first time and discovered that not only does our location have all of their wonderful pastries and baked goods but they truly are a full-service restaurant and even a small bar for beer and wine.  What a great addition to our Brawley School Rd/Lake Norman area!

La Patisserie is truly a family’s labor of love.  They use the freshest of ingredients combined with amazing family recipes passed down from generation to generation to make an incredible selection of pastries, desserts,  and gorgeous special occasion cakes.

Over the years they have added a truly unique and wonderful full breakfast and lunch menu including their mouth-watering crepes, omelets, salads, sandwiches and awesome baked Empanadas.  One of my personal favorites is the home-made fresh mozzarella/tomato/basil sandwich. I love their crepes as well.  In fact, I have yet to eat something at La Patisserie that I didn’t happily devour.

Their Cuban heritage is evident in some of their special items like their Cuban sandwich of shredded beef, red and green peppers, onions and cheese served on their freshly bake Cuban bread to their empanadas. 

A bakery first, however, their cake decorators and pastry chef are known for their exceptional and beautiful wedding and specialty cakes for all occasions.  They also offer a full catering service and food to go for those of us on the run.

La Patisserie Bakery and Cafe

631 Brawley School Rd. Suite 406, Mooresville NC 28117

627 North Main Street, Mooresville NC 28115

704.799.1631

More Lake Norman Real Estate’s Business’s of the Week

Shoals Saloon and Grille on Brawley School Road

FreshBerry Yogurt

Josh’s Farmers Market

The Fresh Market:  Lake Norman Just Keeps Getting Better!

While most of us who live down Brawley School Road spent the winter trying to cope with this weird and very cold white stuff that kept falling from the sky, “Norman” was busy opening what is sure to become the hangout  for Lake Norman locals:  “Shoals  Saloon and Grille…Mooresville’s premier food-drink & fun spot”  in the new Bloom Shopping Center at Stutts Rd and Brawley School.

As you enter Shoals, you immediately feel like you are on vacation.  The fun, whimsical nautical decor with the weathered wooden walls reminds me of hanging out at the lake or beach in the summer.  It feels like it is time to relax.  Shoals Saloon and Grille pretty much demands that you leave your stress at the door!

But, as “Norman” says on their website:  ” Don’t be fooled by the casual Lake Norman atmosphere at Shoals, cuz we’re dead serious about great food, great drink, and great service.  

The food is awesome.  It is like a gourmet Vinnie’s on steroids with an eclectic menu that offers everything from a fresh mozzarella salad with home grown tomatoes to a lump crab “samich” to prime-aged Filet Mignon to their Lowcountry Boil on Sundays.  Did I mention their desserts?  My favorite is “Granny Heron’s Apple Crisp Streusel” but then again, I have yet to try their Key Lime Pie or Chocolate Thunder Brownie A La Mode!  (Of course, their ice cream is made locally at Mooresvilles Deluxe Ice Cream).

 The “Saloon” is wonderfully located in the very center of the restaurant which gives it that “Cheers” type feel where locals hangout while enjoying one of their amazing drinks like “Fidel’s Berry Mojito”,  Martini’s of all kinds, Kentucky Mud Cider, domestic beers or wine. 

Shoals has daily drink specials like Martini Monday Madness when all of their signature martinis are $5.  And, Monday – Friday they offer “5 for $5 Happytizers”.  How about meatball-sirloin-codwich sliders, fried calamari or Gorgonzola baked potato chips at the end of a busy day?

Looking for some fun on St. Patrick’s Day? 

Check out Shoals Saloon and Grille’s   

ST. PAT’S BASH:

Traditional Irish Fare: $5 All you can eat!

Guinness/Smithwick’s/Harp: $3 Pints all week!

Irish Whisky $3

Gorgeous Guinness Girls (6pm-9pm)

World Renowned Bagpiper and Mooresville’s own Live Duo: Wally & Dave

 Don’t forget to check out their Sunday Brunch!

Shoals Saloon and Grille

1098 Brawley School Road

Mooresville, 28117

704.660.1211

Now Open Daily for Lunch and Dinner 

If you want to experience the best of life in a small college town in the Lake Norman area, you need look no further than the Summit Coffee  house on Main Street in Historic Downtown Davidson.

Summit Coffee & Tea is the epitome of what true old-school coffee houses should offer:  A gathering place for students, faculty and locals where people of all ages are drawn to the warm and inviting ambiance, great coffee, delicious pastries, fine teas, micro-brews, wine, evening entertainment and a place to hang out with your laptop or a good book.

 With tables and chairs in both the front and on the large rear patio, (pictured to the right), on a sunny day you will find Summit Coffee to be a central meeting spot for students, soccer moms, professors, artists, athletes and anyone who appreciates top quality coffee and a place to just enjoy being with friends.

Inside the 100 year-old building in which Summit Coffee is located, a collection of antiques and mis-matched furniture, ceiling fans and a wall of eclectic sundries from T-Shirts to coffee mugs are all just the right amount of funky to make everyone feel at home. 

Don’t be at all surprised to find a group of people waiting in line.  I don’t think I have ever been there when it wasn’t busy! 

That’s because Summit Coffee serves up the best coffee around by a friendly group of top-notch baristas! 

The chalk board menu behind the counter offers myriad beverage options including the best espresso I have found in the Lake Norman area as well as pastries and lunches from La Patisserie in Mooresville.

You can also buy freshly roasted coffee beans by the half or pound.  My favorite is their rich decaf Magnolia. 

If you climb up the rather unassuming stairway to the second floor you will find a huge room with stuffed furniture, a corner for the musicians, and a great place to enjoy their premium wines and micro-brew beers 6 nights a week. 

During the day it’s a popular but quiet place to hang out or study with friends.

You will quickly learn, however,  that Summit Coffee is more that just a place to find great coffee. 

There is an overarching theme of mountain climbing and adventure blended with a passionate focus on Sustainability, Fair Trade, Organic and Shade Grown coffee. 

Since it opened over 10 years ago, Summit Coffee has shown a strong commitment to the community and giving to charitable organizations like The Alex Lowe Charitable Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, The Conservation Alliance, Davidson Lands Conservation to name just a few.

If you go to their website: SummitCoffee.com, you can order their “Climbers Series, World Class Coffees” as well as their regular coffees, coffee mugs, learn about Sustainability and top quality Fair Trade, Organic and Shade Grown Coffee. 

I think the Quote from mountain climber Erik Weihenmayer  which is on their organic cotton T-Shirt says a lot about the owner and the character of Summit Coffee and what makes it special:

“A summit isn’t just a place on a mountain.  A summit exists in our hearts and minds.  A summit is a symbol that with the force of our will, we can transform our lives into whatever we choose them to be”

 Summit Coffee & Tea.

128 South Main Street. Davidson, NC 704.895.9090

For those of you who don’t frequent the charming Lake Norman college town of Davidson, you may not know that we now have THE BEST chocolate in the entire Lake Norman/Charlotte region right in our own back yard!

Opened in the new Harris Teeter Shopping Center last August, Davidson Chocolate Co. is a labor of love for owners and confectioners John and Sue Elliott. Using classic recipes from the Drost Family of Holland dating back to 1887, they create their incredible array of chocolate truffles, confections, fudge and specialty items right in their shop.

At much personal sacrifice I have made several trips to Davidson Chocolate Co. to buy samplings of their truffles and bark which I can say with great enthusiasm are truly incredible!

They offer about 14 different flavors of truffles from Cappuccino to Cherry Cordial in dark, milk, white and even sugar-free chocolate.  John is constantly experimenting with new flavors.  One of the favorites is “Hot Chili”!

Using a “full-bodied 70% cocoa mass” their dark chocolates have a richness that is rarely found. 

Not only are their truffles decadently delicious, but each one is a mini-piece of art.  

Because they are made without any preservatives nor paraffin and are very FRESH, the Elliotts recommend that their chocolates be frozen in an air-tight container if not eaten within 2-3 weeks.  Of course, whatever I bring home is consumed within a matter of hours!

Davidson Chocolate Co. hand-crafts all of their confections so they are able to offer custom work for weddings, corporate logos, and specialty molds.  As they said to me ” there isn’t much we can’t do if a customer has a special need!”  If you are celebrating a special occasion consider chocolate!

They also have a wonderful selection of ice cream, fudge and other confections.  Well worth the visit!

Davidson Chocolate Co.

610 Jetton Street Davidson, NC 

704.896.7245 or 877.896.7245.

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