M5 is a member of the Harper’s Restaurant group located in South Park. This was my first visit after the new chef change… and it was an overall menu change as well. M5 goes for the Mediterranean fare in a ‘trendy’ way. The restaurant is decked out in a modern vibe with alligator print booths and walls and brown and clue décor.
We ended up going for lunch since it is cheaper than the dinner menu and we were out doing after Christmas shopping. First glance of the new menu showed me that there were some big changes. The original menu was good (my old favorite – falafel and cucumber salad with pita is no longer on the menu and not offered – bring it back!). The new menu had the lamb and chicken pitas and some additional ‘med’ dishes. I was torn between the lamb pita or the Grilled Springer Mountain Chicken Breast… and decided on the Chicken Breast. This was served with ricotta gnocchi, caramelized onion, mushrooms (this is was sold me – prefer this over the fries served with the lamb pita). The spouse ordered the Chicken Rigatoni with peas, prosciutto and pesto. Nice hearty meals to overcome the Christmas wine the day before. To assist, we ordered a pitcher of red Sangria (made in-house) as an appetizer. The pitcher is $12 – which is a pretty good deal.
While the spouse was to recall the best alligator tail (inspired by the alligator skinned booth), our food arrived. My grilled chicken was sliced and served with a piece bone-in and the gnocchi was atop a broth-like sauce. First glance – the appearance was very nice. I could smell the parsley and onions once the dish was placed in front of me (I think the spouse was jealous of my selection). I began slicing my chicken – which was very tender – and it was complemented by a crispy thin skin finish. My first bite was ‘like butta.’ Very delicious and sinfully good. I devoured the chicken in a slow manner to enjoy every bite. The chicken had a good balance in flavor between the moist meat and the crispy, flavored crust of the skin. I am not a skin person but this was so thin and flavorful, I couldn’t resist. The gnocchi was equally as good. Surrounded by the onion and mushrooms, the gnocchi was tender and perfectly cooked. The broth sauce (I could taste butter, chicken broth and parsley) was nice a ‘light’ tasting and paired greatly with the gnocchi. If I were not at the restaurant, I would have tipped back the bowl and sipped the rest of the sauce like soup. The spouse’s rigatoni was also good – I had a bite and the pesto had a good home-made flavor. I am glad I ordered my chicken though and could see why the spouse was jealous of mine.
The service was also good with continuous drink refills. I did miss the fresh bread that was brought under the old chef and the hot pita bread… another item that should be brought back but probably better for me that it wasn’t…. can’t overload on those carbs! I give M5 4 ghosts – the chicken dish was to die for. The meal was about $45 with tax and tip.
Also on the menu, they had a tasting menu for $15 which included - Acorn Squash and Red Lentil Soup, Grilled Salmon with English Pea Risotto & Truffle Jus and Pumpkin Flan. They also have drink and appetizer ‘happy hour’ specials – nice on the patio when its warm out.
http://www.harpersgroup.com/m5.asp
4310 Sharon Road, Ste. W01 (by Crate and Barrel and The Counter)
Charlotte, NC 28210
We ended up going for lunch since it is cheaper than the dinner menu and we were out doing after Christmas shopping. First glance of the new menu showed me that there were some big changes. The original menu was good (my old favorite – falafel and cucumber salad with pita is no longer on the menu and not offered – bring it back!). The new menu had the lamb and chicken pitas and some additional ‘med’ dishes. I was torn between the lamb pita or the Grilled Springer Mountain Chicken Breast… and decided on the Chicken Breast. This was served with ricotta gnocchi, caramelized onion, mushrooms (this is was sold me – prefer this over the fries served with the lamb pita). The spouse ordered the Chicken Rigatoni with peas, prosciutto and pesto. Nice hearty meals to overcome the Christmas wine the day before. To assist, we ordered a pitcher of red Sangria (made in-house) as an appetizer. The pitcher is $12 – which is a pretty good deal.
While the spouse was to recall the best alligator tail (inspired by the alligator skinned booth), our food arrived. My grilled chicken was sliced and served with a piece bone-in and the gnocchi was atop a broth-like sauce. First glance – the appearance was very nice. I could smell the parsley and onions once the dish was placed in front of me (I think the spouse was jealous of my selection). I began slicing my chicken – which was very tender – and it was complemented by a crispy thin skin finish. My first bite was ‘like butta.’ Very delicious and sinfully good. I devoured the chicken in a slow manner to enjoy every bite. The chicken had a good balance in flavor between the moist meat and the crispy, flavored crust of the skin. I am not a skin person but this was so thin and flavorful, I couldn’t resist. The gnocchi was equally as good. Surrounded by the onion and mushrooms, the gnocchi was tender and perfectly cooked. The broth sauce (I could taste butter, chicken broth and parsley) was nice a ‘light’ tasting and paired greatly with the gnocchi. If I were not at the restaurant, I would have tipped back the bowl and sipped the rest of the sauce like soup. The spouse’s rigatoni was also good – I had a bite and the pesto had a good home-made flavor. I am glad I ordered my chicken though and could see why the spouse was jealous of mine.
The service was also good with continuous drink refills. I did miss the fresh bread that was brought under the old chef and the hot pita bread… another item that should be brought back but probably better for me that it wasn’t…. can’t overload on those carbs! I give M5 4 ghosts – the chicken dish was to die for. The meal was about $45 with tax and tip.
Also on the menu, they had a tasting menu for $15 which included - Acorn Squash and Red Lentil Soup, Grilled Salmon with English Pea Risotto & Truffle Jus and Pumpkin Flan. They also have drink and appetizer ‘happy hour’ specials – nice on the patio when its warm out.
http://www.harpersgroup.com/m5.asp
4310 Sharon Road, Ste. W01 (by Crate and Barrel and The Counter)
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