Rock, Blues, and Beer Gardens

A couple of weeks ago, M and I drove up to Charlotte to see Grace Potter & the Nocturnals at the Fillmore.  If you've never heard GPN, I suggest you check them out.  The show was awesome - excellent music, excellent vibe, and excellent crowd.  But since this is a food blog and not a music blog, we'll move on.

I think the Fillmore is a great place to see a show.  Partially because the venue itself is really nice, but also because of the surrounding area.  The Fillmore is part of the North Carolina Music Factory.  There are a handful of venues, both inside and out, clubs, and restaurants.  And - this might be the best part - FREE parking.  Right?!?!?  When was the last time you had free parking for a show?

At any rate, the restaurants were what interested me.  M and I met up with a few friends of ours who live in Charlotte (and who were kind enough to let us spend the weekend) for dinner before the show.  Since we were a little pressed for time, we decided to hit one of the restaurants near the Fillmore.  K, our resident Charlotte tour guide, took us to VBGB, a Beer Hall and Garden.