It's true! Faithful readers, I have returned for an all-new restaurant review. When I last wrote in-depth, I started a 3-part series on dining in Charlotte, North Carolina. Today, I am offering my notes and thoughts on Aroojis Wine Room (at Providence/Ballantyne, not the South Park location).
I stopped in for lunch on Wednesday afternoon around 1:30pm. There was only one other diner in the entire establishment, but this didn't concern me since the lunch rush was probably already over. The decor was Tuscan traditional with lots of exposed brick and rustic wood. The lunch menu is a small but thorough affair of classic pasta dishes, sandwiches, soups, and salads.
For my entrée, I chose eggplant parmigiana. It was different than most versions that I had eaten previously. Instead of being almost casserole-like with layers of fried eggplant, marinara sauce, and cheese, Aroojis' version was a single, meaty, thick, slice of eggplant which was coated in a mixture of bread crumbs and herbs and served with a side of spaghetti. The eggplant itself was pretty tasty, but lacked salt. The real disasppointment of the meal was the spaghetti; it was way overcooked (mushy), extremely bland, and totally lacking in every aspect.
Even after the terrible spaghetti, I decided to order dessert. I picked tiramisu in hopes that it would provide some kind of redeeming quality for the restaurant. However, while the tiramisu was edible, it was definitely nothing special. It had all of the requisite components that a tiramisu should have, but it was fair at best. The plate was decorated with dollops of Cool Whip or some other non-dairy whipped topping, which was a real shame because it masked the texture of the tiramisu's whipped marscapone filling (the best part of the entire dessert). Ultimately, I did not feel like my tiramisu was worth $3, and it defintely wasn't worth the actual $7.95 price tag that they charged me.
Final Impressions: While the decor is warm and inviting, the food definitely isn't. I'm no expert on Charlotte, but I'm sure you could probably find better Italian food elsewhere. However, if you are intent on having lunch at Aroojis, avoid the pasta. I have a hard time trusting any Italian restaurant that can't properly cook spaghetti.
Tiffany's Favorite Part: Um...the eggplant, I guess
Tiffany's Rating :) 1/2 out of :) :) :) :)
Aroojis Wine Room
Providence/Ballantyne
5439 Ballantyne Commons Parkway
Charlotte, NC 28277
(704) 845-5244
Operating Hours
Lunch: Monday-Saturday 11:00am-4:00pm
Dinner: Monday-Thursday 4:00pm-10:00pm
Friday and Saturday 4:00pm-11:00pm
Sunday Operation: 12:00pm-9:00pm
South Park
720 Governor Morrison Street
Charlotte, NC 28211
(704) 366-6610
Operating Hours
Lunch: Monday-Saturday 11:00am-2:30pm
Dinner: Monday-Thursday 5:00pm-10:00pm
Friday and Saturday 5:00pm-11:00pm
Lunch Prices (both locations)
Average Soup/Salad Price: $4-$7
Average Sandwich Price: $8-$12
Average Pasta Price: $8-$15
Average Dessert Price: $7-$9
Dinner Prices (both locations)
Average Appetizer Price: $7-$15
Average Entrée Price: $16-$30
Average Dessert Price: $7-$9
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