Gourmet Shop COLUMBIA 93

The Gourmet Shop is located in 5 points and offers more then a kick ass wine and cheese selection along with endless, fun kitchen necessities. They also serve lunch as well as coffee and a few pastries. This might be one of my favorite lunch spots in Columbia; their fresh ingredients always guarantee satisfaction. They offer soups, wraps, and different salads, but I almost always end up ordering a panini. It's hard for me to order anything other then the "Turkey Panini" (pictured above), made with turkey, avocado, tomato, and goat cheese. The sides are difficult to choose between as well, but the different pastas are the best. I usually get the pesto pasta (pictured above), which goes great with any of the sandwiches. They offer tables outside in the shade, which is great if you want to bring your dog, and a few tables inside as well. The service is always good and it's an ideal spot for a quick lunch or a long coffee. Overall I gave Gourmet Shop a 93. The food is definitely crave worthy and the service is great.

Amelie's French Bakery CHARLOTTE 90

I had the pleasure of trying Amelie's French Bakery on North Davidson for brunch the other day. I opted for their special, an egg sandwich on a croissant with asiago and spinach.. It was delicious, and while it looked small it filled me up. The bf tried out the soup special, a tomato and crab bisque (pictured right) and it was beyond words. We both agreed that it was the best soup we've found in Charlotte thus far. We didn't try any of the pastries, but they had a huge fresh baked selection which surely included something for everyone. In fact, they all looked so mouth watering it would be hard to choose just one. One of the coolest thing about this particular bakery is that it's open 24 hours, and has a relaxed coffee house vibe. There were quite a few people working on laptops and enjoying coffee under the many quirky chandeliers throughout the place. Definitely a cool laid back joint that one could easily wind up at at any time. Definitely crave worthy (rated 90) if you're in the mood for fresh baked treats!