At Optimist Hall this week, AJ Sankofa quietly rolled out a new tasting menu at his stall, ESO Artisanal Pasta, that feels less like a food hall grab-and-go and more like the kind of neighborhood trattoria regulars whisper about. The invitation-only service seats just four guests at a snug counter, serving multi-course plates with optional wine pairings. A preview for critics featured a seared lion’s mane “steak” and a ravioli stuffed with coffee-roasted squash, finished with a deep wine reduction.
Tasting Menu Sneak Peek
As reported by The Charlotte Observer, food critic Timothy DePeugh said the menu made him feel “the earth moved” during a recent preview and called Sankofa “the best new chef in Charlotte.” The Observer describes the lion’s mane course as marinated in dashi and sesame, seared, then topped with leeks and sauce verte. The same writeup notes that the coffee-roasted squash ravioli is finished with braised radishes and fried Swiss chard. According to the paper, the four left-side counter…..