Eat, play and love!

Valentine's Day! Don't let it go by without saying "I love you" to someone special in your life. Take them OUT! And do buy a present, even if they tell you, "I don't want you to spend any money on me!" Do not arrive empty handed. Consider yourself forewarned!

Ideas? WOO-HOO! Wednesday, Feb. 8th, Guys Night OUT at the Boulevard on South End (1440 S Tryon Street Suite 100, Charlotte), sweets for your sweet and jewels-what girl doesn't like jewels? Even the florist will be there to take your orders and don't think there isn't something in it for you, mister! New World Beer, also in South End, will be hosting and pouring some brewskies just pour vous! 

EAT HERE! Did y'all see Emeril Lagasse with Colleen Odegaard on the Charlotte Today show Jan. 30? OH YEAH! Emeril is in the HOUSE- our house, so to speak, promoting his new restaurant e2. I have eaten at Emeril's in Vegas and New Orleans (see the photo), more than once and always find his offerings fresh, fun and totally hip.

The most recognized chef and winner of the James Beard Award, Emeril races ahead of yesterday's trends. With over 20 years of experience, this top chef premiered the cooking network on TV, especially for the men! My man included. Comfort food is his forte. In 2011 Emeril hosted "The Originals with Emeril", a new series on the Cooking Channel, visiting historic eateries in cities around the world.

I am thrilled that he is HERE in our town and have several nights reserved with friends to try out his signature dishes, especially the oysters! YUM. Make your reservations because word is the place is packed. e2 is at the Levine Center for the Arts, Tryon Street, next to the relocated Mint Museum, the Knight Theater and the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art. Check out my review in the next blog!

RO-MAN-TIC! The ambiance is killer at Zink, which relocated from uptown Tryon Street to South Park Mall (Charlotte) recently. The same owners as my favorite seafood restaurant, Upstream in Phillips Place, and of Mimosa Grill in uptown, the interior has an ultra hip urban feel, dark lighting, a 30' zinc bar (hence the name), and live entertainment on weekend nights. Using local ingredients, chef Tommy Dyrness serves up comfort foods that your momma never thought of: lobster mac and cheese or sweet chili glazed pork wings! Sit down and shuddup! Perfect date food: buttermilk chicken sliders for the lady and a big juicy Rock House Farm Wagyu Burger for the guy and don't skip the fries! Awesome.

Cheap Date: WOO-HOO! February 9 at the McColl Center for Visual Art, bring your honey and warm up the night listening to funky, americana blues with HEYWIRE. Live music runs 7-10pm at 721 North Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC. $10.00 non-members.

Love is in the AIR! Saturday February 11- 7:30pm at the McGlohon Theatre
Carolina Voices bring CRAZY LOVE, their annual Valentine concert uptown, featuring songs from Patsy Cline to James Taylor.

Southern BLUZES! Five time grammy award winner, guitarist and vocalist, Robert Cray, hits the Neighborhood Theatre this SUNDAY in NoDa. Even if you have "No One Special", check out this true rhythym and blues legend.

Cray was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2011.
 Call (704) 358-9298 for tickets and details.

smART: Pop up gallery at Atherton Mill, 2000 South Blvd. Charlotte
Opening reception: February 10, 5-8:00pm
Feeding the Soul and the Needy (Second Harvest Food Bank will accept canned food donations)
Featuring a month long exhibit of Carl Plansky

Yankee-born, New Yorker, Carl Plansky 1951- 2009. He was a prolific artist and paintmaker whose career spanned 35 years. This exhibit, sponsored by the Elder Gallery, will feature large paintings, charcoals and monoprints, some of which have never been seen.

WHERE IS THIS? I go here for music, food, art, shopping, people watching, tats, etc!

Note: WOO-HOO's are events that come and go in the blink of an eye! In other words, they have an expiration date, so act fast. Click on the Woo-hoo's to open up links to details and info. 

About Karen Cohen (the yankee blogger- me!)

Location	North Carolina, United States
Introduction	I am a born and bred Yankee from the New Yawk metro area. Say it loud! I tootle around town a lot: tootle means to walk or drive in a leisurely fashion, amble. I worked as a photojournalist for punk rock magazines in the metro area of NYC back in the 80's. I love punk rock and still think the Ramones and Patti Smith Group were some of the best live bands in the universe. In the 90's, we moved to the rural hills of Appalachia-yeah, that's what I said! and we learned how to SIMPLIFY. Simply put, that meant no running water, no indoor toilet, no heat, no neighbors for a mile around. Might I mention how great that decade of my life was!! (More later...) During that time, I wrote a weekly column called Nature's Way in my local newspaper and TAWKED (pardonez mon accent!), about organic gardening and well, nature! Now I live in the "south" (below the Mason Dixon Line), and have been called a yankee more than once. The funny thing is, we northerners like being called yankees. After all, we named our baseball team, da Yankees. My aim with this blog is to pass on to whomever wishes (not only yankees!) some of my adventures tootling around the south.
Interests	Being a foodie and an organic grower, I eat out often and favor slow cooking and locally produced food. Being a photographer, I snap shots of whatever grabs my fancy and have several exhibits, solo and en mass, here, there and anywhere that I can! I'll let you know about those. I attend at least 10 concerts/shows per year so I can give you advance notice of shows and reviews! I love art, professional,amateur and even student art. I buy it, produce it and attend gallery openings,receptions and exhibits-details will follow!

Transplants and visitors to the Charlotte-Metro area of the USA will find my blog helpful. Remember, it is just one yankee's opinion! Please give me yours! Tips, photos, ideas, I would love to hear and share them. Hit the comment box and leave me your thoughts. Your comments are all screened first before they appear online, just to keep it clean!!