Sometimes, I can still see myself walking up those back steps to the Pewter Rose in South End, dodging tables and catching a glimpse of butterscotch scones on my way to a seat. It’s hard to believe it’s been at least 13 years since my last brunch there.
The Pewter Rose was a Charlotte institution long before I arrived on the scene; it actually got its start in Spirit Square in 1978. When it moved to its iconic upstairs location in 1988, it beat the “South End” branding by nearly a decade — it was there before the neighborhood even had its name.
By the time my friends and I were spending our 20s there in the late 90s and early 2000s, it felt like the established heart of the neighborhood. We’d tuck away in that private glassed-in room with the French doors for bachelorette parties and baby showers. While I enjoyed dinner there a few times, it was the brunch — especially after a grueling hot yoga class — that truly had my heart…