3rd & Fernwood Puts An Upscale Spin On Southern Plates – Charlotte Magazine

When Greg and Subrina Collier open a new restaurant, it’s not a question of whether it will be good. The correct question is how good.

If you’ve dined at any of the Colliers’ restaurants, you know to come hungry and leave your guilt at the door. This is indulgent, stick-to-your-ribs food made with love. Dishes like fried chicken, mac and cheese, braised greens, and banana pudding feel like an extension of Greg, and every detail from the lighting temperature to the cane-back chairs is all Subrina.

3rd & Fernwood is the latest concept from the husband-and-wife duo, whose BayHaven Restaurant Group portfolio includes Leah & Louise and Uptown Yolk. In April, the Colliers announced Leah & Louise would move from its Camp North End location to a new space in Historic West End. Two months later, they opened 3rd & Fernwood in the old Hickory Tavern space at the Metropolitan in Midtown.

This restaurant is named for the area in South Memphis where Subrina grew up, which is bordered by 3rd and Fernwood streets. At 5,200 square feet, it’s their largest restaurant yet, with 100 seats in the dining area, plus a 20-seat bar and patio seating for an additional 20. They’ve also added a reservation-only speakeasy with 16 seats and a separate entrance. (At press time, the speakeasy was expected to open in the fall.)

The one-page menu features proteins like chicken, trout, and meatloaf, while sides include collard greens, hush puppies, and candied sweet potatoes. They’ve also got salads, sweets, and an entire section dedicated to larder, with housemade pickles, relishes, and five hot sauces. Everything is a la carte, and many dishes are shareable.

The first round of bread service is complimentary (after that, it’s $5) and comes with a side of whipped sangria butter. The Larder section offers options like Merlot Pickled Beets, Dill Pickle Spears, and Turmeric and Black Pepper Pickled Carrots. Pair them with relishes like Butternut Squash Marmalade and Apple Mostarda or dial up the spice with hot sauces like Nashville Hot Chili Oil and Carolina Reaper Inferno.

You might be tempted to skip the salads. Don’t. This team would never insult you with a plate of limp greens doused in ranch; their lineup will make you want to eat your vegetables. The Fonio Tabbouleh ($13) has a texture similar to couscous, tossed with purple hull peas, mint, and “trinity” (a combination of onions, celery, and bell pepper that’s a key component of Cajun and Creole cooking). The Citrus, Fennel, and Shaved Carrot Salad ($12) is topped with smoked almonds and a green-olive dressing for an exquisite balance of tang and crunch. 

The Smoked Mushroom Burger with house-made chips.

Sandwiches include a Smoked Mushroom Burger ($14) that’s promoted as a vegetarian option, but it’s scrumptious whether or not you avoid meat. The patty is made with crispy fried mushrooms and Carolina Gold rice  and served with lettuce and butter-pickle remoulade on a brioche bun. The Fried Chicken Breast Sandwich ($16) is far superior to the drive-thru variety, with crispy, seasoned chicken, tangy mustard barbecue sauce, and Memphis-style slaw.

Plantain Pudding

Meat-and-three diners can choose from proteins like a Smoked & Brined Chicken Thigh ($12), Smoked Turkey & Dumplings ($16), and Braised Oxtail Meatloaf ($14). Sides include 3 Cheese Baked Mac ($10), with smoked gouda, cheddar, and mozzarella; Hush Puppies ($9), with molasses butter; and Hambone Grits ($9), with country ham and roasted-corn grits. The portions aren’t enormous, but when food is this rich and filling, they don’t need to be.

If you saved room for dessert (and you should), finish off your feast with Smoked Pecan Pie ($9), Oat Pound Cake ($8) drizzled with sweet-potato molasses, or Plantain Pudding ($10), with caramelized plantains, spiced cookie crumble, smoked dulce de leche, and rum whipped cream. If you’re stuffed, order one to take home.

This isn’t boundary-pushing food, and 3rd & Fernwood certainly hasn’t reinvented the Southern meat-and-three. But after earning four James Beard nominations and a place on Esquire magazine’s best new restaurants list for Leah & Louise in 2020, the Colliers don’t have to prove themselves anymore. This is just a consistently good spot that you can recommend when a newcomer asks, “What’s a great restaurant in Charlotte?”