In one sense they have encouraged diners to seize the moment whilst the team at Carpe Diem Restaurant have diligently taken care of the culinary nitty-gritties, and yes, they've been doing it commendably well since 1989. Whether it's laying out the décor in a beautiful art nouveau style or creating a menu that is based on 'New American' cuisine, the proprietors have indeed invested much time to understand the impulse of Charlotteans.

The kitchen team have the skill of pepping up the most mundane of ingredients; take goat's cheese for instance, which arrives in a hazelnut crust, over mixed greens with wine poached red onions and apricot jalapeño vinaigrette, or angel hair tossed with sautéed calamari. The entrées are well-executed too, coriander and brown sugar cured grilled salmon fillet and grilled pork chop basted with a chimichurri orange glaze, while a crème brûlée or berry cobbler is a wise choice at dessert time.