"Sam Diminich's ten-table farm-to-table room and a 2025 James Beard semifinalist — reserve for an anniversary you want to feel personal."
Sam Diminich named Restaurant Constance for his daughter and built it around ten tables on Thrift Road in Wesley Heights, west of uptown Charlotte. It is a seasonal, farm-to-table kitchen tied to his Your Farms Your Table group, and in 2025 Diminich landed on the James Beard Awards semifinalist list for Best Chef: Southeast. The jalapeño cornbread waffle has been on the menu since opening night.
Diminich cooks New American food that leans Southern and changes with the farms he buys from. The signature jalapeño cornbread waffle has survived every menu rewrite since the restaurant opened. Around it rotate dishes like pork belly dumplings with shiso and chili jam, and pan-roasted Outer Banks scallops set over couscous with prosciutto. A $65 prix-fixe runs Tuesday and Wednesday, with one raw-bar or salad course, an entree and a dessert; the rest of the week is a la carte at roughly $75 to $110 a head.
The Michelin Guide's North Carolina selection lists Restaurant Constance, and Diminich, a cancer survivor who tells his own story openly, runs the room as personally as the kitchen. For the wider scene, see the Charlotte dining guide and our fine-dining guide; for a tasting-menu contrast, Counter- is the city's other ambitious room.
Ten tables make this a close, quiet room where conversation carries and the staff knows who is celebrating what. Lighting is warm and low, spacing is generous for the size, and dress is smart casual rather than jackets. Service is attentive without hovering, which is the point of a room this small. It seats a date or a small group comfortably and never feels like a banquet hall.
Book Restaurant Constance for a first date because ten tables keep the noise down, the warm lighting flatters, and a seasonal menu gives you something to talk about beyond the small talk. The $65 prix-fixe on Tuesday and Wednesday also keeps the cheque predictable. See more rooms on the best for a first date guide, or Kindred if you are heading toward Davidson.
Not for a big group or a quick bite — ten tables, a set rhythm, and a seasonal menu that changes faster than any standby order you had in mind.
Yes, especially for a personal occasion. Chef Sam Diminich was a 2025 James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef: Southeast, and his ten-table room serves seasonal farm-to-table food that changes with local harvests. It is intimate rather than showy, and the cooking and service punch above the price for a city the size of Charlotte.
Book early. With only ten tables, weekend dinner fills fast, and the $65 Tuesday–Wednesday prix-fixe is popular enough to need a reservation. Use the online booking on the restaurant's site and aim for a week or more ahead; walk-ins are a long shot in a room this small.
Smart casual. The room is intimate but unfussy, so a collared shirt or a nice dress fits without feeling overdressed. There is no jacket requirement; the staff cares far more about the seasonal menu and the welcome than about a strict code, so dress for the occasion you are marking.
The set prix-fixe is $65 per person on Tuesday and Wednesday and includes a raw-bar, starter or salad course, an entree and dessert. The rest of the week is a la carte, where most diners spend roughly $75 to $110 a head before drinks. Wine and cocktails will lift the final bill.
Start with the jalapeño cornbread waffle, which has been on the menu since the restaurant opened, and the pork belly dumplings with shiso and chili jam. Seafood is a strength, so look for Outer Banks scallops or the day's fish. Because the menu is seasonal, ask the staff what came in from the farms that week.
Ten tables only. Reserve online well ahead, especially for weekend dinner and the Tuesday–Wednesday prix-fixe.
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Constance's ten-table room and personal service make it one of Charlotte's most intimate anniversary tables.
See the anniversary guide →