Charlotte chefs blend regional cuisine at Carolina Luau

THE GOODYEAR HOUSE

The June 3 Carolina Luau at The Goodyear House blends Hawaiian and Southern cuisine at a family-style culinary showcase.

Goodyear House is hosting a summer barbecue luau.

Guard and Grace and The Goodyear House are collaborating on Carolina Luau on June 3 at 6:30 p.m. when chefs Chris Coleman and Troy Guard blend Hawaiian and Carolina flavors to kick off the summer at 3032 N. Davidson St. Tickets are $85 per person with a $30 cocktail add-on option. Tickets include four family-style courses with appetizers and desserts. Reservations are limited and can be booked through OpenTable.

Coleman, owner of The Goodyear House and Old Town Kitchen & Cocktails, and Guard, owner of TAG Restaurant Group, which is expanding into Charlotte, wanted to create an experience that was laid back and focused on hospitality and community. 

“Throwing it together to have this fun, convivial shared plates atmosphere is exactly what we're going for,” Coleman said. “It's the idea of just inviting a bunch of friends over to your backyard and throwing some amazing food on a table and everyone digs in and has a good time.”

Coleman said the luau is designed to bring people together in a relaxed environment at a time when diners are looking for experiences that feel more personal.

“They might be a little tired of the $200 wine dinners that are multicourse and we just want to say, hey, we're going to set up our picnic tables really nice,” he said. “We’re going to put some food out on trays and platters and it’s coursed out, but hopefully it's a little bit more fun and you don't have to have your pinkies up when you're drinking your cocktail.” 

The luau will begin with a cocktail hour with lomi lomi salmon and barbecue brisket with pimento cheese and crackers. The four-course meal will include mushroom skewer lettuce wraps, deep dish pizza, huli huli chicken and prime striploin.

Desserts include mini-ice cream sammies, triple chocolate chip cookies and madeleines. Each dish will incorporate traditional Hawaiian elements inspired by Guard’s upbringing in Hawaii and Charlotte native Coleman’s Southern-style cooking.

The chefs said collaboration not only strengthens the culinary community but also helps them grow creatively.

The showcase is an introduction for Guard as he prepares to open Guard and Grace steakhouse in the fall. Charlotte’s restaurant scene continues to grow in what Coleman described as a “culinary explosion.”

“I love the hospitality community,” Guard said. “Charlotte is on fire. That's why we picked Charlotte. We knew it was an amazing city. It’s got so much to offer.” 

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